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Eye Tracking

Define​

Technology which calculates and records what users are looking at, for the evaluation of user interfaces

Eye tracking is a usability testing technology that tracks the direction of a user's gaze, calculates the point on a screen where their eyes are focused, and records this data many times per second. This data can be visualised, and is often overlaid on video of the interface in use, enabling insight into the behaviour of users. Besides the gaze data itself, direct video and audio of users is often captured simultaneously to assist interpretation.

Typically, a test facilitator will be present to watch the user's performance in real time, but recording allows for review and in-depth analysis after the test has finished. Other user testing techniques like observation, interviews, and the think-aloud protocol are often combined with eye tracking to substantiate findings.

Due to the high sample rate, it is possible to precisely calculate useful statistics like discovery time. Gaze plot and heatmap visualizations are common products of eye tracking analysis software, and are often used as evidence to demonstrate observations and back up suggestions.

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