Five Second Test
A timed weapon to conquer first impressions
Evaluates first impressions of a design by showing users a webpage or app for five seconds, followed by questions to assess their recall and understanding
GOAL
To capture and optimize users' immediate reactions to enhance design effectiveness
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DURATION:
DIFFICULTY:
Easy
In capturing user attention, where first impressions are crucial, five-second tests emerge as an effective tool to evaluate initial impressions of a design, providing valuable feedback in seconds.
What is a Five-Second test?
Imagine showing users an image of a webpage or app for just five seconds. Immediately after, they are asked a question about what they saw. This is the essence of the 5-second test: a user research method that assesses how quickly users memorise and understand the presented information.
Five-second tests prove particularly useful in various situations, primarily to evaluate a live website, testing the clarity of navigation and the overall impact of the design. However, it is also used to verify whether the central message of an app, an advertising campaign, or a website is correctly received by users. Additionally, it can be helpful to gather spontaneous impressions and reactions before investing in more complex tests.
How to conduct a Five-Second test
Performing a Five-Second test is relatively straightforward:
Prepare the test: Choose the image to be tested (webpage, prototype, etc.), define the follow-up questions (e.g., "What did you see?"), and recruit participants (users, online testers).
Run the test: Show the image to participants for precisely five seconds and then administer the follow-up questions.
Analyse the results: Evaluate the percentage of correct answers and analyse qualitative comments to identify strengths and weaknesses of the design or messaging.
Why is it important?
Five-second tests offer several advantages:
Assess recall: They measure what information users can retain after a brief exposure.
Test messaging: They verify whether the project's central message is communicated clearly and effectively.
Optimise design: They identify areas for improvement to enhance the visual impact and clarity of the design.
Gather immediate feedback: They allow for obtaining spontaneous user impressions and reactions.
Their simplicity, speed, and effectiveness make them a timed weapon to conquer users from the first seconds of interaction with a digital project.
