Mia Krysa

Tag: innovation

  • Where First Impressions Matter: The Five-Second Test in UX Design

    by UXtweak

    There are countless methods and techniques in the UX design process. And no method is right or wrong—it all depends on how you want to refine or change your design to achieve the best result. In my journey of learning more about user-centered design, I decided I wanted to research a method that caught my eye: the Five-Second Test.

    What’s the Five-Second Test?

    Research shows that users make decisions very quickly. The five-second test is a method used in UX design to test people’s first impressions. Five-second testing is used to collect qualitative data about a user’s first reaction (Maze.co, 2024). The design process isn’t linear, so prototypes are often made, tested, then changed, then tested again… and first impressions help refine prototypes based on what the user wants.

    When using the five-second test, users are shown whatever is being designed for just 5 seconds, and then the image or product is taken away. Then, users are asked questions in a survey that relates to their first impressions of the design.

    Some of these survey questions might be:

    • Can you remember the company(s)/product name?
    • What elements of the design stand out?
    • What message did you take away from the design/product?
    • What part of the design/product did you notice first?
    • What don’t you like about the design?

    Then, change your prototype based off of your targeted user’s response.

    by UXtweak

    Why 5 seconds?

    You may have heard that people visit a website for just 10-15 seconds before deciding if they want to continue scrolling. This isn’t surprising, as short-from content began taking over since Youtube and more recently, TikTok and Instagram reels. According to research, 5 seconds is the perfect amount of time to form a first impression, without the impression deviating from the user’s actual genuine impression (Kuric, 2023). Once you’ve passed the 5 second mark, “the participant’s perspective becomes more analytical and less task-driven. The five-second test lets you avoid overtly speculative feedback that nobody would give you under normal circumstances” (Kuric, 2023).

    The five-second method would not be appropriate for instances where you want the user to use your product or try to interact with your design, as it simply doesn’t offer enough time. It’s for first impressions only.

    When should I use this method?

    I thought it might be helpful to use some examples of studies or designs that were done using the five-second method, but I couldn’t find many designers or companies who shared the results of their experience with it. However, it’s best to use the five-second method when you’re testing out pages on a website, advertisements or app interfaces.

    Next time you’re scrolling on your phone or see an advertisement, test out the five-second method with yourself. See what elements of a design or ad you remember after 5 seconds, and research whether or not it was in the brand’s best interest.

  • Effective Ideation Techniques to Spark Creativity

    Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

    Have you ever tried to come up with something new— an idea, design, or opportunity— to feel like you keep drawing blanks? Like your brain simply isn’t doing what it needs to do? No matter how hard you try, you just feel stuck? It’s not just you. Most of us have faced this situation once or twice. Here are some ideation techniques to help spark new ideas, or at the least, get some wheels turning so you can start making progress.

    What is Ideation?

    According to Interactive Design Foundation, ideation is at the heart of the design thinking process. There are literally hundreds of ideation techniques, such as brainstorming, brain-dumping, sketching, SCAMPER, and prototyping. Ideation involves taking ideas from your conscious and subconscious mind, to come up with the best solution. In other words, let your mind run wild! Let’s discuss a few techniques in detail.

    Brainstorming

    Brainstorming is probably the most common ideation technique. I can think back to my early school years and remember my teachers introducing this concept. In my eyes, I’ve always just thought of it as a fancy term for bouncing ideas around (by yourself or with others), to come up with a solution. During a brainstorm, you should be able to share ideas without fear of judgement.

    Sketching

    Sketching is a great way to bring ideas to life. Visuals sometimes help come up with new ideas a bit better than words do. Your sketches don’t have to be pretty, or well-thought out. It’s actually better if they’re messier and rough, as it leaves room for further development and improvement. Sketches are also great for sharing ideas with others.

    Analogies

    Using analogies to spark new ideas is exactly what it sounds like. The idea is to come up with similar situations or concepts, and build off of ideas that pop up. To me, using analogies sounded a bit weird and like it could be considered copying, but some designers believe that “all design is re-design.”

    Ideation on Nike Training Club App

    I wanted to see the above techniques in action, and decided to use them to come up with new ideas for a few different workout apps. I analyzed and compared three different workout apps and created two POV statements for each, after I collected enough data on user experiences. Then, I brainstormed, sketched, and analyzed each POV statement to try to come up with an idea to solve each statement.

    The Nike Training app for example, had some issues with users feeling like it wasn’t beginner friendly. Users also wanted a way to track their previous workouts in a calendar form to stay organized and even plan future workouts.

    POV Statement: Users who like to plan their workouts need a calendar feature to view their history and future workouts because there’s no way to see what they’ve completed, or the ability to track progress.

    And here were my 3 different ideation techniques in action:

    Notice how they differ? And how each technique comes up with different ideas? Off of one POV statement, I was able to build 5+ new ideas using just three techniques.

    Try some of these new techniques if you’re feeling stuck, and I can almost guarantee that you’ll come up with something new. If you’d like to look more into my presentation on ideation techniques on my POV statements from last week, see below.

    Ideation TechniquesDownload