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@mstandage mstandage.com
Icons in interfaces
Considerations for using icons in
modern interfaces
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@mstandage Icons in interfaces
User experience, typography
and information design
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What are icons?
@mstandage Icons in interfaces
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a symbol or graphic representation
on a screen of a program, option,
or window.
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– Oxford English dictionary
Icons in interfaces
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Icon Index Symbol
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‘Cat’
Symbol
Concept
Referent
Refers to Symbolises
Stands for
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What do icons do?
@mstandage Icons in interfaces
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Portray concepts
@mstandage Icons in interfaces
– Hicks, J. (2011). The icon handbook. United Kingdom: Five Simple Steps.
– Black, A., Lund, O., Walker, S. and Luna, P. (n.d.). Gower Handbook of Information Design.
Farnham: Gower.
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Navigation
@mstandage Icons in interfaces
– Kacmar, C. and Carey, J. (1991). Assessing the usability of icons in user interfaces. Behaviour
& Information Technology, 10(6), pp.443-457.
– Niemelä, M. and Saarinen, J. (2000). Visual Search for Grouped versus Ungrouped Icons in a
Computer Interface. Human factors, 42(4), pp.630-635.
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Association
@mstandage Icons in interfaces
– Peraya, Daniel. (1998). Structures et functionnement semiotiques des icones de logiciels et
d’environnements informatiques standardizes (ILEIS), Recherches en comunicationm n° 10,
TECFA, Unité des technologies éducatives, Université de Geneve.
– Niemelä, M. and Saarinen, J. (2000). Visual Search for Grouped versus Ungrouped Icons in a
Computer Interface. Human factors, 42(4), pp.630-635.
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Branding
@mstandage Icons in interfaces
– Hicks, J. (2011). The icon handbook. United Kingdom: Five Simple Steps.
– Black, A., Lund, O., Walker, S. and Luna, P. (n.d.). Gower Handbook of Information Design.
Farnham: Gower.
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Icons in use: why and how
designers use or miss-use them
@mstandage Icons in interfaces
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Picture superiority affect: pictures
and images are more likely to be
remembered than words.
@mstandage Icons in interfaces
– Paivio, A., Rogers, T. and Smythe, P. (1968). Why are pictures easier to recall than
words?. Psychonomic Science, 11(4), pp.137-138
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They distil lengthy processes into
concise forms to improve the
efficiency of an interface
@mstandage Icons in interfaces
– Caplin, S. (2001). Icon design. New York: Watson-Guptill Publications.
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Icons may improve perceived ease
of use, even if they have little
effect on usability
@mstandage Icons in interfaces
– Wiedenbeck, S. (1999). The use of icons and labels in an end user application
program: An empirical study of learning and retention. Behaviour & Information
Technology, 18(2), pp.68-82.
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No icon in a software product can
stand alone and be understood by
the global audience’
@mstandage Icons in interfaces
– Haramundanis, K. (1996). Why icons cannot stand alone. SIGDOC Asterisk J.
Comput. Doc., 20(2), pp.1-8.
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Icon-only interfaces perform
significantly worse than label-only
and icon-label interfaces
@mstandage Icons in interfaces
– Wiedenbeck, S. (1999). The use of icons and labels in an end user application
program: An empirical study of learning and retention. Behaviour & Information
Technology, 18(2), pp.68-82.
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‘The icon is not widely recognised
and is often confused with the
“opens in a new window” icon.’
@mstandage Icons in interfaces
– designnotes.blog.gov.uk/2016/11/28/removing-the-external-link-icon-from-gov-uk
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Users will use context to interpret
icons, but it can’t be relied upon to
aid users understanding
@mstandage Icons in interfaces
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Icon characteristics
@mstandage Icons in interfaces
– Mcdougall, S., Curry, M. and de Bruijn, O. (1999). Measuring symbol and icon characteristics:
Norms for concreteness, complexity, meaningfulness, familiarity, and semantic distance for
239 symbols. Behavior Research Methods, Instruments, & Computers, 31(3), pp.487-519.
– Isherwood, S., McDougall, S. and Curry, M. (2007). Icon Identification in Context: The
Changing Role of Icon Characteristics With User Experience. Human factors, 49(3), pp.465-476.
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Familiarity
@mstandage Icons in interfaces
– Brems, D. and Whitten, W. (1987). Learning and Preference for Icon-Based Interface.
Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting, 31(1), pp.125-129.
– Holloway, J. and Bailey, J. (1996). Don’t use a product’s developers for icon testing. In:
Proceedings of CHI’96 Short papers.. New York: ACM.
– Koutsourelakis, C. and Chorianopoulos, K. (2010). Icons in mobile phones: Comprehensibility
differences between older and younger users. Information Design Journal, 18(1), pp.22-35.
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Semantic distance
@mstandage Icons in interfaces
– Mcdougall, S., Curry, M. and de Bruijn, O. (1999). Measuring symbol and icon characteristics:
Norms for concreteness, complexity, meaningfulness, familiarity, and semantic distance for
239 symbols. Behavior Research Methods, Instruments, & Computers, 31(3), pp.487-519.
– Isherwood, S., McDougall, S. and Curry, M. (2007). Icon Identification in Context: The
Changing Role of Icon Characteristics With User Experience. Human factors, 49(3), pp.465-476.
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Concreteness
@mstandage Icons in interfaces
– Rogers, Y. (1989). Icon design for the user interface. International Reviews of Ergonomics, 3,
pp.129–154.
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Visual Complexity
@mstandage Icons in interfaces
– Rogers, Y. (1989). Icon design for the user interface. International Reviews of Ergonomics, 3,
pp.129–154.
– García, M., Badre, A. and Stasko, J. (1994). Development and validation of icons varying in
their abstractness. Interacting with Computers, 6(2), pp.191-211.
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What are the characteristics of
successful/unsuccessful icons?
@mstandage Icons in interfaces
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To conclude
@mstandage Icons in interfaces
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Always test your icons with users
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Familiarity is the most significant
correlation to meaningfulness
@mstandage Icons in interfaces
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Use icons without labels cautiously
and only if absolutely necessary
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