Eye tracking rules
(some of which are made to be broken).

Tim points us to a terrific summary of lessons learned from eye tracking studies.

The highlights, in alphabetical order:

n        Ads in the top and left portions of a page will receive the most eye fixation.

n        Ads placed next to the best content are seen more often.

n        Bigger images get more attention.

n        Clean, clear faces in images attract more eye fixation.

n        Fancy formatting and fonts are ignored.

n        Formatting can draw attention.

n        Headings draw the eye.

n        Initial eye movement focuses on the upper left corner of the page.

n        Large blocks of text are avoided.

n        Lists hold reader attention longer.

n        Navigation tools work better when placed at the top of the page.

n        One-column formats perform better in eye-fixation than multi-column formats.

n        People generally scan lower portions of the page.

n        Readers ignore banners.

n        Shorter paragraphs perform better than long ones.

n        Show numbers as numerals.

n        Text ads were viewed mostly intently of all types tested.

n        Text attracts attention before graphics.

n        Type size influences viewing behavior.

n        Users initially look at the top left and upper portion of the page before moving down and to the right.

n        Users only look at a sub headline if it interests them.

n        Users spend a lot of time looking at buttons and menus.

n        White space is good.