Realization of intended visual hierarchy in e-commerce web design : An eye tracking case study

The theory of visual hierarchy has been widely used in the field of web design, with the increasingly emphasized importance of UX-design in the e-commerce industry. As eye tracking technology has become a popular research method, the visual hierarchy of web pages has been studied from various perspectives. However, the domain lacks extensive research to determine the effectiveness of specific visual hierarchies in conveying intended information. This thesis reports a case study to investigate the design of a selected e-commerce website, with a focus on visual hierarchy and viewing patterns. The study employs an eye-tracking device to examine whether the arrangement of design elements on the website leads to the desired viewing patterns and supports the company's intended commercial objectives. The theoretical section of this paper discusses the ways in which the structural design of a web store can influence user attention and affect the customer’s journey within the page. The empirical part of the study begins with a case interview to determine the applied design strategy and intended outcomes of the design. This is followed by an eye-tracking experiment to assess whether practice aligns with theory and whether the website's goals are achieved in real-world conditions. The findings of this study provide valuable scientific insight for the company by suggesting improvements to the website's design. These findings may also be generalized to other websites or interfaces with similar characteristics, contributing to scientific knowledge. Additionally, the accuracy of existing scientific knowledge in applicable contexts is discussed along with the implications of the results.Verkkokaupan käyttäjäkokemuksen korostuneen merkityksen myötä visuaalisen hierarkian teoria on saanut laajaa suosiota verkkosivusuunnittelun viitekehyksessä. Katseenseurannan kehittyessä ja yleistyessä tutkimusmenetelmänä, on sitä hyödynnetty visuaalisen hierarkian aihepiirissä huomattavasti. Kuitenkaan kirjallisuudessa ei ole kattavasti käsitelty visuaalisten asettelutapojen tavoitteiden toteutumista käyttäjien katseessa. Tämän tutkielman tarkoituksena on selvittää, kuinka verkkokaupan sivustosuunnittelussa käytettyjen visuaalisten elementtien asettelu toteuttaa suunnittelijan tavoitteet asiakkaiden käyttäytymisessä. Katseenseurantalaitetta hyödyntämällä toteutettu tapaustutkimus pyrkii selvittämään, miten sivustoa katsovan huomio jakautuu elementtien kesken ja tukevatko havaitut katsekuviot suunnittelijan haastattelussa esittämiä tarkoitusperiä, liittyen sivuston visuaaliseen hierarkiaan ja halutun tiedon välittymiseen. Tutkielma koostuu kirjallisuuskatsauksesta sekä empiirisen tutkimuksen raportista. Aiemman kirjallisuuden tarkastelussa määritellään keskeiset käsitteet sekä pohditaan, millä tavoin verkkokaupan visuaalinen rakenne ja asettelu voi vaikuttaa asiakkaan käyttäytymiseen ja kokemukseen. Empiirinen osa alkaa case-sivuston suunnittelijan haastattelulla, jonka jälkeen suunnittelijan tavoitteita vertaillaan katseenseurantalaitteella kerättyyn aineistoon. Tutkimuksen tulokset tarjoavat case-yritykselle arvokasta tietoa hyödynnettäväksi verkkokauppansa kehittämisessä. Tuloksia voi myös yleistää muille sopiville käyttöliittymille, tarjoten tieteellistä aineistoa myös laajemman yleisön hyödynnettäväksi. Tutkielman päätteeksi raportissa pohditaan havaintojen suhdetta aiempaan tieteelliseen kirjallisuuteen

Faces and Viewing Behavior: An Exploratory Investigation

User experience is becoming increasingly important in gaining a competitive advantage in the marketplace. One way to improve user experience is by including images of faces. People are drawn to faces because paying attention to faces has played a significant role in human evolution. Hence, areas on a web page that typically receive less attention from users, such as the right side or below the fold, may benefit from the inclusion of images of faces. Although faces may be useful in attracting attention to particular places on a web page, they may also distract attention from key information. To test this possibility, we conducted two eye tracking studies in which images of faces were placed on areas of a web page that are shown to receive less attention. The results indicated that faces did not increase the number of people who viewed the areas where the faces were located, but that faces affected fixation patterns on these areas. Our results also showed that faces located above the fold of the web page negatively affected the performance of those who were completing tasks

Made You Look: Do Video Thumbnails with Portraits Attract and Hold Users’ Attention?

This qualitative pilot study investigates if video thumbnail designs with portraits attract users’ attention faster and hold their attention longer than thumbnail designs without portraits during information-seeking tasks. The study also investigates if users perceive content represented by thumbnail designs with portraits as more trustworthy than content represented by designs without portraits. Additionally, the study asks if, during information-seeking tasks, users show a bias toward engaging with content represented by designs with portraits over designs without portraits. The study used pre-and post-surveys, eye-tracking data, and retro-active think-a-loud interviews to examine these questions. The findings suggest that designs with portraits do not draw users’ attention faster than designs without portraits. However, designs with portraits hold users’ attention longer than designs without portraits only in some information-seeking tasks; for other tasks, designs without portraits hold users’ attention longer than those with portraits. Findings also suggest that some users rely on thumbnail designs as a secondary source of information when assessing the trustworthiness of the video content. Additionally, the findings suggest that during search scenarios when users value information from a source belonging to a specific group or identity, users perceived designs with portraits of sources belonging to the desired group or identity as more trustworthy than thumbnail designs without portraits or designs with portraits of sources from other groups or identities. The findings also suggest that users are not bias toward engaging with content represented by thumbnail designs with portraits over designs without portraits during information-seeking tasks. Furthermore, the findings suggest that users use thumbnail designs as secondary sources of information to assist with determining the style or tone of video content.Master of Arts in Digital Communicatio

Avoiding Ad Avoidance: Factors Affecting The Perception Of Online Banner Ads

This dissertation examined the effect of search type, ad saliency, and ad repetition on the perception of online banner advertisements. In the first study, 48 student participants conducted simulated search tasks using mixed factorial design where search type (known-item vs. exploratory) was manipulated within-subject and the banner saliency level (low (black and white) vs. medium (color) vs. high (color animation)) was manipulated between subjects. The results showed a significant effect for search type, such that during an exploratory search task the participants had a higher average number of eye fixations on the banner ads compared with known-item search. In addition, there was a significant difference between high and low ad saliency levels, such that participants exposed to low salient ads had a higher average number of eye fixations on the banner ads as compared with high salient ads. There was no significant effect of ad repetition on ad perception. A second study replicated the original experimental design but used four novice Internet users. The results from the second study provide preliminary support to the asymptotic habituation model, which predicts an inverse decline of an orienting response to banner ads as a function of repetition. This dissertation concludes with applicable design recommendation for banner ad deployment to ensure visibility while maintaining a positive user experience.Doctor of Philosoph