How an eye tracking study is conducted

Eye tracking shows what your visitors look at and builds heat maps with “red” and “gray” areas; learn how an eye tracking study is done.

Companies that conduct eye tracking research studies recruit respondents. Depending on the size of the project to be analyzed, a common user base ranges from ten to a thousand users per item to be audited. Respondents are given a task – for example, look for the sign up box on your site, locate the 10.1” netbook among a series of 13.3” and 15” laptops or locate a red backpack on your shelf.

When moving across a larger hall (like a store or parking lot), subjects are given to wear a special pair of glasses with a tracking device that records their eye movement. Key viewing areas are identified and, later on, consolidated into the known heat maps. The sensor in the glasses is programmed to track eye fixations (a short period of time that is proven to occur when a person’s eyes engage with their minds), the order in which objects are viewed as well as the time spent analyzing an object or area.

When sitting in front of a computer, the respondents’ eye tracking are tracked with the help of cameras built in the monitor or devices placed right next to it. Wearing a pair of glasses with a tracking device for prolonged periods of time can disrupt the user experience or, worse, yield false positives.

At the end of the survey, respondents usually take a short interview where they share their experience on how the test went and why they focused on certain areas longer than others. Responses are also consolidated into a report that accompanies the generated heat map.