Meeting Eye To Eye : How Trained Designers And Typical Viewers See Design Pieces : And Their Implications For Contemporary Design Education

Abstract

This study investigated and compared gaze patterns of typical viewers and trained designers to learn if there are differences in the gaze patterns between the two groups. Using eye tracking technology, participants were asked to interpret orally and in writing the effectiveness of the compositions of several advertisements and a company letterhead. The research data included the recorded gaze patterns of participants and the oral and written remarks of the viewers. The questions asked the participants to assess their responses to and appreciation of the compositions. This study shows that similar elements of design are of importance to experts and novices alike, but that experts viewed the art differently than novices.