5-Second Test

5-Second Test is a user research method used to test first impressions of the page. It can be used to test variety of things about the User Interface, for example, effectiveness of Call to Action or navigation placement and labeling, value proposition, messaging, etc.

How does 5-second test work?

Let’s take a look at how 5-second tests work. Normally the user is given some context to what they are about to see. Then the user is presented with a design for exactly 5 seconds. What follows is a series of simple questions, for example, where the call-to-action (CTA) button is located, what color it is, or what does it say.

Here is an example of a 5-second test in action:

How to design a good 5-second test

Although 5-second tests are easy to set up, it is not that easy to design them in a way that actually yields good results.

You only get one shot

Remember, that you are testing for first impressions, so you cannot show same design to the same user more than once.

You can plan to test variations of the design, but do it with different users. Just keep in mind, you will have to recruit a good number of participants to make any findings statistically significant.

Zero-in on what matters

Since the user has only 5 seconds to look at the design, it is a good idea to really zero-in on what matters. For example, if you are testing out different designs for a hero unit, you might want to show the user just the hero unit. Just keep in mind that presenting things out of context might skew the test results.

Plan to ask simple questions

Keep questions simple. Here are some ideas:

  • What do you think this page is about?
  • Where is the menu located?
  • What color was the main call-to-action button?

Depending on what you are testing, questions can be very specific, for example:

  • How many options did the dropdown have?
  • What was the first item on the list?

Make sure that the questions you are asking are meaningful, and actionable to you. In other words, the feedback you get can help you decide how to change the UI, and improve the UX.