Eyetracking Shows How Task Scenarios Influence Where People Look
Summary: Task scenarios are core to usability studies. The way researchers write tasks can bias usability results by influencing where people focus their attention.
How users attend to information on a page depends on their tasks and goals, as confirmed by new eyetracking research. Good design promotes efficient scanning. In usability studies, (biased) task formulation may tip users to discover features.
Video Author
Kara Pernice is Senior Vice President at Nielsen Norman Group. Pernice pioneered UX research methods beginning in the early 1990's, and continues to evolve user-centered research methods and processes to best collaborate with organizations. She helps to improve their UX strategy, increase their UX maturity, and derive experiences that useful, simple, and surpass business goals. Pernice is accomplished at evaluating and managing design situations, and crafting with a team the most fitting research methods, and converting this analysis into insights and outstanding designs. She is the creator of NN/g's Intranet Design Annual and UX Certification Program.
