Design tools work faster than ever, but speed comes with a risk. When making social media visuals, ads, or marketing graphics in a short time, it’s easy to share something that looks good but fails to direct focus to the right spot.
The Attention Insight add-on for Adobe Express was built to tackle that issue head-on. The new version 2 now connects predictive eye-tracking features with Adobe Express helping creators test designs faster and make more informed decisions without as much guessing.
To check if this promise holds up in practice, we tested the new version inside a real workflow. We optimized a CTA-focused Instagram Story ad step by step using Attention Insight feedback during every stage of the process.
What Is Adobe Express (and Why This Integration Matters)
Adobe Express is Adobe’s fast, template-driven design tool built for everyday creation. People often use it to create social media posts, ads, presentations, and basic marketing designs.
Its biggest advantage is how fast it works. You can create content using templates, brand kits, and simple drag-and-drop tools even without strong design knowledge. But that same speed can take away the time to pause and question visual hierarchy, contrast, or whether the intended action is actually visible.
Fixing attention mistakes after publishing costs far more than spotting them early. This is why having design validation inside the same tool is so useful.
What Is Attention Insight for Adobe Express?
Attention Insight is an AI-powered predictive eye-tracking tool integrated directly into Adobe Express. It uses large-scale visual behavior data to predict where users are most likely to look when viewing a design.
The add-on helps designers see how visual hierarchy works. It shows how things like size, contrast, color, spacing, and placement guide a viewer’s focus on a layout.
In Adobe Express, Attention Insight offers these features:
With version 2, you can now access these tools in the Express workflow. You won’t need to export your designs or switch to other apps.
Installing the Add-on (v2)
You can install the Attention Insight add-on straight from the Add-ons panel in Adobe Express. After installation, it will show up in the left-hand toolbar, Add-ons section, and can be opened during any part of the design process. You can use it while working on a template or making final adjustments to your layout.
Pricing Update: What Changed in v2
One notable change in version 2 is pricing.
Before, the Adobe Express add-on came at no cost. Now, you need to buy an Attention Insight plan to use the updated version. This reflects its deeper integration and expanded functionality.
A Deep-Dive Test: Iterating a CTA-Focused Design
To evaluate the add-on, we looked at a practical example. We worked on improving an Instagram Story ad for a single primary goal – driving clicks via a call-to-action (CTA).
This part explains every stage of the testing and adjustment process starting from the original template-based design to a CTA-optimized final version.
Step 1: Starting with a Template
We started the test by adapting an Adobe Express template designed for a fashion ad.
Using templates helps save time by giving a set structure, but they also often stick to common design styles:
bold brand titles at the top
a central image with a model
small decorative elements
a discount label
a CTA positioned at the bottom
Visually, the layout felt balanced and clean. Strategically, however, it was built on an unproven idea: the belief that people would notice the CTA simply because it existed.
To challenge that untested assumption, the CTA was intentionally kept subtle in the first version.
Step 2: Running the First Attention Analysis
Starting Attention Insight through the Add-ons menu began the first round of analysis. Before the process kicked off, the tool asked for the content type (we chose Marketing material) so it could align its evaluation to real-world use.
The findings made one issue clear: the design’s hierarchy was off:
the brand name and the model’s face grabbed the most attention
the discount badge attracted secondary attention
the CTA however, got the least attention overall
This exposed a typical design mistake. A layout might look appealing but still fail to achieve its key marketing goal.
Additional:
Attention Insight lets users add the analysis as a layer right on the design, overlaying Attention Hotspots or Focus Areas for quick visual evaluation. You can copy results, open them in the Attention Insight app, or run tests again anytime after making changes, which helps with making quick adjustments.
Step 3: Cutting Clutter and Improving Focus
The first round of changes focused on simplification rather than redesign:
decorative elements were reduced
typography was unified to lower cognitive load
visual competition near the CTA was minimized
CTA size and contrast were slightly increased
A second review revealed slight progress, but the CTA still failed to enter the primary attention path.
The evidence at this stage indicated that just tweaking minor details wouldn’t solve the problem. The root issue was with the layout itself.
Step 4: Structural Repositioning of the CTA
The biggest improvement happened by changing where the CTA was positioned on the page.
Instead of placing it at the bottom like a footer element, the CTA was moved into the main image section overlapping with the natural focus area created by the direction of the model’s face and body.
To support this shift, the discount offer was simplified and positioned above the CTA without a circular shape, while the header was moved below the image to reduce competition in the primary attention path.
This adjustment shifted how attention was directed.
focus shifted from the face to the CTA and then to the offer
the CTA turned into a key part of the design’s story
the layout’s hierarchy changed from being decorative to being functional
Step 5: Choosing One Priority – and Accepting Trade-offs
With more attention on the CTA, the tool highlighted some trade-offs:
brand text placed lower in the layout received less attention
the discount message became secondary
attention concentrated around the face and CTA
Instead of seeing this as a problem, it pointed out an important rule:
Not every element can – or should – be optimized simultaneously.
For this test, CTA visibility was the primary goal. Reduced brand recall was accepted, prioritizing action-driven results – this choice was backed by clear data.
What This Test Demonstrates
This iterative process highlights the real strength of Attention Insight:
it uncovers hidden hierarchy issues in the design phase
it allows for quick testing without disrupting the creative process
it promotes thoughtful decisions with clear trade-offs
it transforms design choices into measurable data
Rather than relying on guesses, every update went through validation based on expected user attention.
Understanding Attention Hotspots and AI Recommendations
Heatmaps alone can be misleading. Color intensity does not always equal importance.
Attention Hotspots provide percentage metrics for attention-heavy zones, helping make evaluations simpler and more precise.
Version 2 brings in AI suggestions. It assigns attention percentages to headings, calls-to-action, and main content without any manual input.
Final Takeaway
This case study shows how Attention Insight should be used in practice: it is not about chasing every single metric but helping to support informed, strategic decision-making.
The final design succeeds because:
the primary goal was clearly defined
trade-offs were acknowledged rather than avoided
attention data validated structural choices instead of dictating aesthetics
Despite some leftover automated warnings, the outcome achieves what was needed:
a bold CTA that grabs focus, captures attention, and guides users toward action.
That is what success should look like.
