Gender Preferences in Web Design: Usability Testing through Eye Tracking

Abstract

A successful website not only contains useful information but also displays this information in a way that is easily recognized by its users.One way to accomplish this is by investigating users' visual preferences when using a web page.While each user may have unique tastes, they all can be organized into demographic groups with associated visual penchants.For example, literature provides evidence that there is a difference in layout preference between men and women.Using this literature, in this study, we examine whether such gender preferences can influence the recognition of specific information provided by specific items on a web page.To test our hypothesis we conduct a laboratory experiment.In addition to collecting subjective data, as in most prior studies, we also use an eye tracker that collects information regarding users' fixation.The results of this study as well as their implications are discussed.