5 Second Test
If I’m writing about a test that should take 5 seconds or less, then in the spirt of a ‘5 second test’ I suppose I should make this post brief.
I was first introduced to the concept of 5 second tests while in graduate school and I love the concept behind them. The whole idea is to present a user with a product that could be given a quick review or opinion in 5 seconds or less.
The most common application of this test is found in web page design with the process typically proceeding as follows:
Decide what web page you would like to have users provide a first impression/opinion of.
Decide on the user cohort you would like to test the web page with.
Set up the research interview with one user at a time. (NOTE: if you have to conduct the test in groups due to time or other constraints then be sure to have the interviewees write their answers down so as not to anchor or bias the opinions of others in the room)
Brief the interviewee on the format of the test. Let them know they will be looking at a web page for 5 seconds (and only 5 seconds) and that they should try to remember as much of what they see as possible. Also, let them know that you’re looking for their first impressions of the page and their overall opinion.
Now, it’s time to run the test. Have the user at the ready and bring the web page up for 5 seconds.
At the conclusion of the 5 seconds, close the screen and begin asking questions about the user’s experience in viewing the page.
Capture the results and continue as needed with other users.
Now, you might be wondering what types of questions can you ask a user if they’ve only had 5 seconds to look at your web page. Ideally, you’re looking to get a feel for how users view your page. How does the design affect them? Can they tell who the primary users or audience of this site will be? Can they describe the market or industry that the site operates within? Does the branding match the site design? Does the site feel cluttered or look like you would need an instruction manual to operate it?
You might also be questioning the usefulness of running this type of test. I mean, how much can you learn from a user seeing your beautiful page for only 5 seconds? The surprising thing is that you can actually learn quite a bit. We’ve all been told that first impressions count and it’s 100% true in product design. Everyone has an opinion about the way a product is designed or the ease with which they can use a product. These 5 second tests help researchers to learn if the product is on the right track with a particular design by getting the immediate first impression of a design. If the 5 second test returns data that suggests the design might be a bit off, then it is time to dive deeper and learn more.
The 5 second test is a great test to get quick opinions on a design and learn if your product is communicating the message that you expect. If the 5 second tests suggest you’re on the right track with your design then that’s great! However, if the feedback from the test shows that there could be some problems with the design then you now have an idea where to conduct deeper research, make improvements, and fix the problem.