Trials and Tribulations of Using an Eye-Tracking System    

This paper's focus is on the challenges associated with collecting eye-tracking data. Despite operator training conducted by the manufacturer, one year of experience with eye-tracking and extensive calibration, the data collection success rate in the current investigation was very low; only six out of sixteen participants (37.5%) were successfully eye-tracked. We discuss possible explanations for this low success rate, and why we do not currently believe that eye-tracking is ready to be employed in usability laboratories.

Schnipke, Susan K. and Marc W. Todd. Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (2000). Articles>Usability>Methods>Eye Tracking

Using Eye Tracking to Compare Web Page Designs: A Case Study    

A proposed design for the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Web site was evaluated against the original design in terms of the ease with which the right starting points for key tasks were located and processed. This report focuses on the eye tracking methodology that accompanied other conventional usability practices used in the evaluation. Twelve ASCO members were asked to complete several search tasks using each design. Performance measures such as click accuracy and time on task were supplemented with eye movements which allowed for an assessment of the processes that led to both the failures and the successes. The report details three task examples in which eye tracking helped diagnose errors and identify the better of the two designs (and the reasons for its superiority) when both were equally highly successful. Advantages and limitations of the application of eye tracking to design comparison are also discussed.

Bojko, Agnieszka. Journal of Usability Studies (2006). Articles>Web Design>Usability>Eye Tracking

Using Eye-Tracking Data to Understand First Impressions of a Website

This study discusses the contributions of eye-tracking data to traditional usability test measures for first-time usage of websites. Participants viewed the homepages of three different websites. Results showed that eye-movement data supplemented what users verbally reported in their reactions to a site. In particular, the eye-tracking data revealed which aspects of the website received more visual attention and in what order they were viewed.

Russell, Mark C. Usability News (2005). Design>Web Design>Usability>Eye Tracking

Eye Movement Patterns on Single and Dual-Column Web Pages

This study examines eye movement patterns of users browsing or searching a 1-column and 2-column news article on a web page. The results show a higher number of fixations for information in the second column of an article than for the same information in the lower portion of a single column. In addition, the typical "F" pattern appeared in the left column of the 2-column layout, but not in the right column. Users also fixated more on other page elements, such as ads, when they were browsing than when they were searching.

Shrestha, Sav and Justin W. Owens. Usability News (2008). Articles>Web Design>Usability>Eye Tracking

How Do Users Browse a Portal Website? An Examination of User Eye Movements

This study examined the eye movement patterns of users browsing a web-based portal interface. Results demonstrate consistent scan patterns in both 2 and 3-column portal layouts. In the 2-column portal, users viewed the page through the top, left channel and proceeded to scan the rest of the portal page in a reverse 'S' pattern by row. In the 3-column portal layout, users typically started scanning in the top, center channel, and then proceeded to scan in a reverse 'S' pattern through the rest of channels by row. Implications of these results to portal design are discussed.

Owens, Justin W. and Sav Shrestha. Usability News (2008). Articles>Web Design>Usability>Eye Tracking

When It Comes to Homepages, It is Polite to Stare

That one webpage bears all the promotional burdens that would typically be spread through an entire printed edition of your newspaper. Your homepage begins to look as though a dozen designers from different departments each built their own piece.

Small, Jay. Poynter Online (2004). Articles>Web Design>Usability>Eye Tracking

Using Eye Tracking to Compare Web Page Designs: A Case Study  

A proposed design for the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Web site was evaluated against the original design in terms of the ease with which the right starting points for key tasks were located and processed. This report focuses on the eye tracking methodology that accompanied other conventional usability practices used in the evaluation. Twelve ASCO members were asked to complete several search tasks using each design. Performance measures such as click accuracy and time on task were supplemented with eye movements which allowed for an assessment of the processes that led to both the failures and the successes. The report details three task examples in which eye tracking helped diagnose errors and identify the better of the two designs (and the reasons for its superiority) when both were equally highly successful. Advantages and limitations of the application of eye tracking to design comparison are also discussed.

Bojko, Agnieszka. Journal of Usability Studies (2006). Articles>Web Design>Usability>Eye Tracking

Studying Web Pages Using Eye Tracking 

Eye tracking has been investigated and 'toyed with' for many years by researchers and commercial usability professionals. Many new techniques and therefore interesting and powerful results are now available.

Ewing, Kirk. Scribd (2005). Articles>Usability>Testing>Eye Tracking

The Hunt for Usability: Tracking Eye Movements 

Incorporation of eye position recording into product usability evaluation can provide insights into human-computer interaction that are not available from traditional usability testing methods. We present here some thoughts on this topic which arose primarily from a CHI 99 workshop. This workshop brought together human-computer interaction designers, eye movement researchers and usability testing specialists for a discussion about how to extract information about product usability from users’ eye movements.

Karn, Keith S., Steve Ellis, and Cornell Juliano. SIGCHI Bulletin (2000). Articles>Usability>Testing>Eye Tracking