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About / The Science

Methods chosen for the decision, not the mystique.

CloudArmy combines intuitive and explicit measures to understand how people respond to brands, messages, concepts, and creative assets. Every study starts with the question, then uses the methods that can answer it responsibly.
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Our research toolkit

Different signals answer different questions.

Behavioural measures help reveal fast responses; self-report explains what people consciously think and can articulate. Used together, they provide a clearer view without pretending that any single method tells the whole story.

Method 01

Implicit Association

A science-backed sorting task that measures the strength and direction of fast associations between brands, concepts, and attributes.
Value you gain

  • Reveal associations that reflective questions can miss

  • Compare how strongly different stimuli connect with priority attributes

  • Reduce the influence of rationalisation and response-management bias

Read with care

Implicit association measures the relative strength of an association in the study context. It does not read minds or establish a universal, fixed belief.

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Method 02

Intuitive Associations

A timed choice method that captures which attributes people connect with a stimulus and how readily those responses come to mind.
Value you gain

  • See which associations are both selected and readily accessible

  • Identify where an execution reinforces or misses intended meaning

  • Compare routes using intuitive response alongside stated preference

Read with care

Response speed adds evidence about accessibility and conviction; it should be interpreted with accuracy, study design, and context rather than treated as a direct prediction of behaviour.

An abstract network of illuminated neural connections
Method 03

Visual Search and Findability

Measures how quickly and accurately people locate a pack, logo, message, or other target within a realistic competitive visual environment.
Value you gain

  • Understand whether a design stands out in context

  • Confirm that important brand or navigation cues are recognisable

  • Compare routes by both search speed and accuracy

Read with care

Findability shows whether a target can be located in the tested environment. It does not, by itself, explain liking, comprehension, or purchase choice.

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Method 04

Surveys and Self-Report

Captures what people consciously think, remember, prefer, and can explain through structured questions and open-ended responses.
Value you gain

  • Hear directly from participants in their own words

  • Measure conscious opinion and claimed intent

  • Add explanation and context to faster behavioural signals

Read with care

Self-report is valuable evidence, but people cannot always access or accurately explain every influence on a decision. It is strongest when paired with the right complementary measures.

A person responding to a survey on a mobile phone
Method 05

Visual Saliency

A modelled measure that estimates which parts of a visual are most likely to attract early attention based on their inherent visual properties.
Value you gain

  • Identify elements likely to compete for immediate attention

  • Find opportunities to strengthen hierarchy and navigation

  • Screen and improve designs before deeper respondent research

Read with care

Saliency predicts likely visual attention; it does not observe an individual viewer and cannot establish comprehension, emotional response, or preference.

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Method 06

Online Eye Tracking

Uses a participant’s webcam to estimate visual attention in real time, helping teams understand what is noticed, revisited, or missed.
Value you gain

  • Check whether priority areas receive attention

  • Understand the order and distribution of visual exploration

  • Diagnose layout friction without specialist laboratory hardware

Read with care

Results depend on calibration, device, and viewing conditions. Looking at something does not necessarily mean understanding, liking, or valuing it.

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Go deeper

Explore the thinking behind the methods.

Visit the Knowledge Centre for practical articles, method explainers, and evidence on how behavioural science supports better marketing decisions.Visit the Knowledge Centre