Eyes on higher education: Evaluating web usability in Kuwaiti private universities using eye-tracking and SUPR-Q metrics

Website design and usability are critical factors that impact the effectiveness of a website, influencing both user attraction and retention. Understanding user preferences is essential for designers and researchers when optimizing user interfaces (UI) and user experiences (UX). This study addressed key research questions about usability by examining which design heuristics have the most impact on students’ interactions with private university websites in Kuwait. By assessing web design and usability across three private universities in Kuwait through specific tasks, we analyzed user experiences using eye-tracking data, task completion times, user inputs, and qualitative feedback from the Standardized User Experience Percentile Rank Questionnaire (SUPR-Q). Results showed a correlation between eye movement data and users’ experiences, revealing each website’s strengths and areas for improvement. One university’s website struggled to guide users effectively, impacting efficiency, particularly in finding tuition fee information, underscoring the need for clearer navigation. Another university achieved a balance between visual appeal and functionality, resulting in faster task completion and higher success rates. The third university’s website demonstrated a strong link between cognitive load, measured by eye-tracking, and user interaction. These findings suggest that well-designed websites adhering to established usability principles tend to provide higher-quality user experiences.