Free tool · The Webdings Test
If we changed your copy to something unreadable, could you still “read” it?
Try our Webdings Test right now to find out. It’s a free visual hierarchy check for ads, social posts, designed emails, landing pages, slides and more.
Private by design. Your work never leaves your device. We don’t upload it, save it or see it.
Before you run it
How the eye reads a page
- Top to bottom
- Left to right
- Big to small
- Vibrant to dull
Position sets the default path. Size, color and imagery pull the eye off it. See how we score it
Showing a sample ad. Upload your own design to test it.
How it works
How does this all work? Meet the method behind the madness.
In Western, left-to-right cultures, we scan a page top to bottom and left to right. That’s the default path. But emphasis rewrites it. A big, vibrant element in the bottom right will get read before a quiet headline in the top left, even though it sits last on the page. Big images work the same way.
Top to bottom
The eye enters at the top of the page and works its way down.
Left to right
Across each row, it reads the way we read a sentence.
Big to small
Larger type and objects pull the eye before smaller ones.
Vibrant to dull
Saturated color and high contrast win over muted tones.
How we weight each element
We find each element in your design, then measure how big it is, how saturated and high-contrast it is against its background, and where it sits on the page. Images get an extra pull, because photos, illustrations and faces draw the eye before type does. Contrast matters most of all: an element that blends into its background gets seen late, however big it is. The highest combined score gets the first look. This is a predictive model built on how people typically scan, not eye-tracking of real viewers. Use it as a gut check, not a verdict.
What is the Webdings Test?
The Webdings Test is a free visual hierarchy checker from Parker House Creative. You upload a finished ad, designed email or landing page, it swaps your copy for unreadable symbols, and it predicts the order people’s eyes will move through the design. If your most important message isn’t seen first without the words, the layout isn’t doing its job.
How does it predict where people look first?
It scores every element on three things: size (50%), color and contrast (35%) and position on the page (15%). In Western, left-to-right cultures, people scan top to bottom and left to right by default, but large, vibrant, high-contrast elements and imagery pull the eye off that path. Elements that blend into their background get seen late, however big they are.
What files can I test?
PNG, JPG and WebP images of any size. That covers ads, social posts, designed emails, landing page screenshots and one-pagers. For a PDF, export the page as an image or take a screenshot first. The tool needs some design to judge, so plain copy on its own won’t work.
Is my work uploaded or saved?
No. The test runs entirely in your browser. Your file is never uploaded to a server, saved or seen by Parker House Creative. Close the tab and it’s gone.
How accurate is the Webdings Test?
It’s a fast, illustrative gut check based on how people tend to scan a page, not eye-tracking of real viewers. It’s effective at flagging when the wrong element wins attention, but it isn’t 100% accurate. For an expert read, request a review from a Parker House creative director.
Is the Webdings Test free?
Yes. It’s free to use as often as you like, with no sign-up. If you’d like a hands-on review from a creative director, that’s a separate paid service billed at our hourly rate, with scope agreed up front.
Why is it called the Webdings Test?
Webdings is a symbol font that turns letters into pictures. Designers use the same trick to judge a layout without the words getting in the way: if the hierarchy still reads when the copy is unreadable, the design is working.
Creative review
Want a creative director’s read?
The test shows you where the eye goes. A Parker House creative director can tell you why, and what to change so your work tells the right story.
- Tell us what you’d like reviewed. No need to send your work yet.
- We’ll talk through what you need, the scope and the pricing.
- Then you get a hands-on review with specific, prioritized recommendations.
Request received
Got it. Talk soon.
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