Muhammed Senussi
Muhammed Senussi
  • Muhammed Senussi
The First Five Seconds Decide the RestUI/UX

In every five-second test I have run, participants remember two things: roughly what the product does, and whether it seemed to be for someone like them. Everything else has to be re-read.

What earns that space

  • A headline that names the outcome, not the technology. "Get paid faster" beats "cloud-native invoicing platform" in every test I have seen.
  • One image that shows the product doing the thing. Abstract illustration tests badly because it communicates a mood rather than a category.
  • A single primary action. Two competing buttons measurably reduce clicks on both.

Run the test

Show five people the page for five seconds, take it away, and ask what it was for and who it was for. It costs an afternoon and it is the highest-yield research I know, because it tests the only question users actually ask on arrival.

The First Five Seconds Decide the Rest — Figure 1
The First Five Seconds Decide the Rest — Figure 2
The First Five Seconds Decide the Rest — Figure 3

1 Comments

  • Peter Bakker

    April 9, 2024

    Two competing buttons reducing clicks on both is counterintuitive until you watch someone hesitate.

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