The design of software interfaces to facilitate user experience (UX) is being impacted by the use of eye tracking methods during test and evaluation. Early techniques for eye tracking were cumbersome; therefore, results were sparse and questionable. However, eye tracking hardware and software is now at the point where significant amounts of reliable and unbiased data on users’ interaction with software can be collected.

This book, by Jennifer Bergstrom and Andrew Schall, describes the use of eye tracking systems to collect data on UX, the analysis of such data, and the relevant conclusions that may be drawn. This is not a book about the methods for analyzing video streams to derive eye position information; the underlying technology is only briefly mentioned to set the stage. Readers interested in image processing details will need to look elsewhere. Rather, the authors describe what such data is being used for, what it tells us (in conjunction with ideas from cognitive neuroscience) about users’ interaction with different layouts of visual elements, and designs that will be most effective based on these insights. In the foreword, a possibly optimistic statement is made: “eye tracking hardware will soon become a commodity”; this will make the use of eye tracking methods a natural part of the design of all but the most trivial software user interfaces.

The fundamental techniques are built on the identification of fixations and saccades (rapid movements between fixations) on a screen layout; these are commonly displayed as heat maps overlaid on the display. These heat maps carry much information about the user’s response to the layout. It is noteworthy that the interaction depends on the task to be performed. The authors describe the process of including eye tracking methods in usability testing, including how to communicate results.

Much of the book describes the particular responses to different types of interfaces: forms and surveys, web navigation, web content, e-commerce sites, social media, mobile devices, and games. For each, specific issues in UX evaluation are discussed and a number of widely applicable conclusions and recommendations are provided. In many cases, an issue is that a number of users do not recognize options that will help them in their navigation--they “get lost.” From a record of what they do look at while trying to proceed, it is possible to design interfaces that are easier to use for a wider number of people.

Two important chapters cover UX design for unique populations--older adults and low-literacy users. The aging of society makes the design of UX for senior adults in particular a vital issue. To choose just one application area, as more and more healthcare-related functions are accessed online, increasing their usefulness for seniors can have a profound impact on healthcare costs in years to come.

Incidentally, this beautiful book is a pleasure to read. The many heat maps and illustrations are aesthetically pleasing, and the overall design and typesetting is well done. The text is easily readable throughout. I recommend this book to anyone interested in the evaluation of UX of any type of software system.

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