EyeTracking
The 2007 Eyetracking Study1 reveals how readers travel through newspaper and Web pages differently, which elements print and online readers are drawn to first, how they enter a page, and how they use navigational cues.
Below are the findings that we found particularly interesting:
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•Broadsheet readers typically entered through headlines, tabloid readers through photos. Online readers entered through directional devices like navigational bars and teasers.
•Readers are impatient. All of us scan, but become more methodical readers when presented with a story that interests us. Large photographs play a key role in how the eye moves on the page.
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Online Eye Stops by Content
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•Large photos and documentary photos drew the eye more than small photos or staged photos. Mug shots received relatively little attention. Maps and explanatory graphics were viewed more than charts in print and online.
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1Eyetracking the News, A Study of Print and Online Reading, Dr. Pegie Stark Adam, Sara Quinn and Rick Edmonds, The Poynter Institute for Media Studies 2007
