Eye-tracking Technology Brought a New Dimension to Graphic Design Studies 

What is uXlab?

uXlab is a service provided by Xamk that uses eyetracking technology to test and study user and customer experience in both digital and physical services, products, and environments.

All tests are planned together with the client. Test participants are recruited on a case-by-case basis either from Xamk’s own tester network or from the client’s network.

Once the planning phase is complete, the testing is carried out and the data is analysed by an expert. Finally, the results and development suggestions are reviewed together with the client.

The testing equipment consists of various eye-tracking cameras that are easy to transport to different testing locations. This allows the service to be used in a wide range of environments across Finland. The system produces both eye-movement data and think-aloud recordings—meaning we can literally see what the test participants see.

The service can also be used in Xamk’s own teaching, for example in business, information technology, and game development programmes. It is also available to companies for testing website usability or other customer experiences.

Concrete Learning Through Student-led Research – A Graphic Design Example

When the Culture Education Unit at Xamk began planning a semester-long module on user understanding in autumn 2025, they came across uXlab. An initial idea to simply introduce the technology to students soon grew into a more extensive project designed to support learning more effectively.

Students chose research topics based on their own interests, ranging from magazines and film posters to online shops.

Their work was supported by mentoring sessions, where experts from Stakeholder Services helped guide the process. The responsibility for developing the final solutions lay with the students. Before the testing phase, they prepared test structures and roles.

Practical testing took place over two days on the Kouvola campus. Students acted both as testers and as test participants for other groups. This approach deepened their understanding of user experience, and careful planning was reflected in the smooth progress of the testing days.

At the end of the project, each group produced a report and development suggestions based on their findings. User understanding became concrete through hands-on work.

Excellent Student Feedback

Anonymous feedback was collected from students about the method’s interest level, clarity, and impact on learning. Twelve students responded: 58% found eye-tracking research very interesting, and the remainder found it interesting.

The eye‑tracking study was truly fascinating, and it nicely visualised the importance of arranging and carrying out work in a way that makes things stand out. The participatory approach worked extremely well. The content stayed in mind remarkably well and sparked new ideas on how to improve our work.”

Student feedback

From a learning perspective, the method was rated highly illustrative (average 4.5/5), with half awarding it the highest score.

All respondents felt that eye-tracking helped them examine user experience from a new perspective and understand where a user’s gaze focuses—and how this information can inform design decisions. The method’s concreteness and visual nature made the learning experience memorable and offered new ideas for their own design work.

Could uXlab Support Your Teaching or Student Projects? If you are interested in using eyetracking technology in your module or dissertation supervision, get in touch with our Stakeholder Services experts. We are happy to explore collaboration across different fields. The service is also available to companies.