![Facebook Timeline vs. Old Profiles: How People View Them Differently [STUDY]](https://helios-i.mashable.com/imagery/archives/04G5vn6HZtxScnCf7YNnPOx/hero-image.fill.size_1248x702.v1647020532.png)
To get a better idea of how profile design affects profile viewers, Mashable asked eye-tracking research startup EyeTrackShop to compare visual statistics for Twitter, Facebook and MySpace profiles before and after major site redesigns. The company had 30 people to look at the profiles while tracking their eye movements. Here are some interesting observations from the resulting data:
Facebook Timeline cover photos get noticed first. However, study participants still spent a longer time looking at the Facebook Timeline profile photo than the cover photo.
Facebook ads get noticed more in Facebook Timeline. While 43% of participants noticed Facebook "sponsored stories" in the old profile format, 63% noticed the ads in the Timeline format. Participants spent the same amount of time on average looking at the ads in each profile.
Personal information such as employer and location gets more attention in the new Facebook Timeline. Viewers spent an average 2.2 seconds looking at this section in the new format, which includes images, but only 1.6 seconds looking at this section in the old format.
MySpace text gets read last and least. In both the new and old versions of MySpace, top photos were noticed first and viewers spent the most time looking at them.
The New MySpace makes soundtracks more prominent. Ninety-seven percent of viewers noticed the section of songs you can click on to play in the new profile, but only 53% noticed them in the old profile.
Profile information is easier to find in the new Twitter. While viewing the old profile, participants noticed tweets before they noticed profiles. While viewing the new version, that pattern was reversed.
Take a look at the full results in the slideshow below and add your own observations to the comments.