When it comes to research studies, first impressions are important. How a user immediately views a website will help understand what is either helping or hindering the design. This is especially important when a glance can have dramatic effects on their opinion down line. In the research study Attention web designers: You have 50 milliseconds to make a good first impression!, researchers found that users have about 50 milliseconds to make a good first impression, which is why it is so important to have a strong design (Lindgaard et al.).
One method that puts that into effect is the five second test. In UX Methods: A Quick Guide to User Experience Research Methods, associate professor in interactive design James Pannafino and UX architect Patrick McNeil explain that the five second test has you “show the user a design for five seconds and then ask some follow-up questions to discover their first impressions,” (Pannafino & McNeil, 44). The reason for the five second test is to help understand what stands out on the website, and how more can be done to accomplish the desired goal of the design.
To conduct a five second test, prepare a list of simple questions to ask the user after viewing the design. Then, have them view the design for five seconds, then have them answer your questions. Continue repeating the test with different users and collecting all the different answers. When the users are answering the questions in the way you are hoping for, then the test has come to a close.
While other research methods require a certain number of users to test to gain an effective understanding, this test can be done with as little as five users. However, if the desired outcomes are not in line with what the researchers are looking for, then more users might be required to test.
The five second test works well as either a digital presentation that is shown to a user or by showing them the design on a printed piece of paper. If five seconds is not enough time for the user to have a deeper understanding of the design, then you can increase the time they view the design.
This example demonstrates the action of a five second test. After clicking to show the image, the user is shown the blog for a website. After five seconds, the user answers relating to the design and the content of the website (Master).
Another example of a five second test. In the research study, users were first given a focused task, then shown the donation page for The Red Cross.org’s website. After viewing the page, users were asked to write down what they remembered about the page. They also were asked several questions about the website (Perfetti).
From the study, researchers found that the page effectively communicates that the website is for accepting donations to the Red Cross. However, the study also found that the page was not effective at demonstrating the different options that were available to users.
For New Beginnings Family Academy’s website, the five second test would work well to gain a deeper understanding of the user and if the website is accomplishing its goals. The five-second test would be on the home page, and the support us page. The questions would ask if they were able to find the necessary actions on the page, and if they could understand what the donations were used for.
As designers, it is important to create a strong first impression with your users. If not, they will become confused, overwhelmed, or upset with your website. Not only does this make them not want to use your website in the short term, but it creates a negative opinion that they will carry into the future. The five second test allows for researchers to gain a deeper understanding of the user.
Sources Cited:
Lindgaard, G., Fernandes, G., Dudek, C., & Brown, J. (2006). Attention web designers: You have 50 milliseconds to make a good first impression! Behaviour & Information Technology, 25(2), 115–126. https://doi.org/10.1080/01449290500330448
Mester, T. (2019, April 23). Five second testing. Data36. Retrieved February 21, 2022, from https://data36.com/five-second-testing/
Pannafino, J., & McNeil, P. (2017). Ux methods: A quick guide to user experience research methods. CDUXP.
Perfetti, C. (2016, March 18). 5-second tests: Measuring your site’s content pages. UX Articles by UIE. Retrieved February 21, 2022, from https://articles.uie.com/five_second_test/
Bailey MeCey 
Leave a comment