Eye Tracking Insights: The Power of the Face

We are hardwired to look at faces

We have learned through eye tracking that the image of the human face is a powerful thing. The eye is naturally drawn to the face, and we often spend several moments looking at it.

Eye tracking studies have revealed that often faces attract too much attention at the expense of users spending time looking at content that is more critical to the goals of the design.

If you use images of people in your designs, be strategic in how you use them. Use the power of the face to draw the eye to the area of the page that you want them to focus on and then make sure that it leads them to where you want them to look next.

Eye Tracking heatmap showing heat on image of a face

Eye Tracking heatmap showing heat on image on faces

Here is a great example of someone using the face to alter the look patterns to subconsciously encourage people to look at the brand. In this example, eye tracking shows that when the model looks at us, we look at the model, but when the model looks at the product our eyes are drawn to the product.

Heatmap showing attention on the product

Another example of the power of the face

The eye gaze plot on the left shows how multiple participants (indicated by each color) primarily focus on the baby's face and then move down to look at the body. In the second image the participants initially focus on the baby's face, but then move to look at what the baby appears to be looking at, which inevitably leads their eyes to the marketing copy.