http://northern-user-experience.org/2009/02/09/eye-tracking-more-than-meets-the-eye/ Community blog Thu, 05 Aug 2010 12:15:44 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 http://northern-user-experience.org/2009/02/09/eye-tracking-more-than-meets-the-eye/comment-page-1/#comment-321 Katherine Thomas-Wilson Wed, 15 Jul 2009 15:10:13 +0000 http://northern-user-experience.org/?p=87#comment-321 More and more eyetracking work is being undertaken in our research facility in central Manchester, primarily by market research companies specialising in usability. Almost all of them are based in the SE or Scotland - why? These research companies use our market research studio in order to allow clients and the web agencies to observe real users up close, listening to feedback whilst they navigate sites, in real time. Eyetracking kit is hugely expensive , but there are companies who hire out the equipment and technical support on a day by day basis. The client companies tend to be the large NW manufacturers et al who want to be more involved in website development , they want joint ownership of the process but the inevitable side effect seems to be improved agency/client relationships. Not only do the agency/client observers benefit from the insight provided by the quantitative data of heat maps, but also the reasons articulated during the accompanying conversation, for preferring one design to another. Watching and listening to real people using real and proposed sites generates nuggets of insight that offer commercial advantages whether it be an eyetracking project, a one on one usability depth or group discussion relating to early ideas around web-site brand positioning. Does anyone else think that undertaking more usability research with real users is the next stage in the digital industry's evolution? Other forms of media such as tv /pack design, spend a great deal of time and effort refining their format and message with real people - why not digital? More and more eyetracking work is being undertaken in our research facility in central Manchester, primarily by market research companies specialising in usability. Almost all of them are based in the SE or Scotland – why? These research companies use our market research studio in order to allow clients and the web agencies to observe real users up close, listening to feedback whilst they navigate sites, in real time. Eyetracking kit is hugely expensive , but there are companies who hire out the equipment and technical support on a day by day basis. The client companies tend to be the large NW manufacturers et al who want to be more involved in website development , they want joint ownership of the process but the inevitable side effect seems to be improved agency/client relationships. Not only do the agency/client observers benefit from the insight provided by the quantitative data of heat maps, but also the reasons articulated during the accompanying conversation, for preferring one design to another. Watching and listening to real people using real and proposed sites generates nuggets of insight that offer commercial advantages whether it be an eyetracking project, a one on one usability depth or group discussion relating to early ideas around web-site brand positioning. Does anyone else think that undertaking more usability research with real users is the next stage in the digital industry’s evolution? Other forms of media such as tv /pack design, spend a great deal of time and effort refining their format and message with real people – why not digital?

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