University of Manchester - Artistic experience

An art gallery was turned into a laboratory by researchers from the University of Manchester's School of Computer Science, who are examining how people experience art. During an art exhibition, held in conjunction with Manchester Art Gallery, the researchers used infra-red technology to determine how people looked at 12 paintings, recording information such as how long and in what order they were viewed. The researchers believe their findings may have implications for the future design of websites. Caroline Jay, research associate at the school, said the team was "looking for patterns in the way people look at different visual elements. This may help us to understand how and why people focus on particular areas, what attracts them and what is the deciding factor for this sequencing."