Description
The premise behind the 5-second test is simple: you show participants a design for a feature, web page, ad, or any other image for just five seconds, and then ask them questions to gauge what they were able to notice or understand in that brief time.
The concept plays off the notion that you only have a short window to capture someone's attention, especially in today's fast-paced digital environment. If users can't quickly identify key elements or understand the purpose of a page, the design likely needs refinement.
Examples of how to 5-second tests:
Homepage Impression: Show participants your website's homepage for 5 seconds and gather their initial impressions. Example: "Take a quick look at our homepage for 5 seconds." Then follow up with "What are your first impressions? What do you think this website is about?"
Logo Recognition: Display a logo or branding element for 5 seconds to assess its recognisability. Example: "Here's our new logo for 5 seconds." Then follow up with "Can you recall any specific elements or details from it?"
Content Scanning: Present a webpage with content for 5 seconds and ask participants to identify key information. Example: "You have 5 seconds to look at this product page." Then follow up with "What information did you notice? What stood out to you?"
Navigation Assessment: Show the navigation menu of a website for 5 seconds to gauge its clarity and usability. Example: "Take a quick look at our navigation menu for 5 seconds." Then follow up with "Can you tell us what options are available?"
How to use
Add the 5-second test to your survey or test in just a few steps
Go to your project
Select the Build tab
Click Add new step
Click 5-second test
Enter your question and description
Click on the right-hand side to add your design or drag one in
You can then use the survey questions to ask follow-up questions
Additional options
You can customise the step by clicking on the Options button
Option name | Function |
Make required | Make sure participants complete this step before continuing |
Set timer | Select how long to display your image. Up to 20 seconds. |