Why the 50ms Finding Can Be Misleading

Web users judge sites in the blink of an eye

The finding is that people can make judgments about a site in just 50 milliseconds. The conclusion is that visual appeal is therefore paramount to success.

This study has created quite a discussion, even reaching the heights of CNN.

Problem is, the study doesn’t test users who really care. They’re not motivated like people are in real life. They’re not even completing meaningful tasks!

You might as well ask someone to judge the deliciousness of food by looking at it.

Or you could just read Christine’s much more level-headed response: Snap Decisions on the Web