Abstract: Icons, or graphic symbols, have recently become widely available as a means of human-computer interaction. The range of applications and interface styles that benefit from the use of icons have, however, not been extensively studied. This paper presents a case study of an interface in which some aspects seemed favorable for the use of icons, while other aspects seemed unfavorable. In such situations, interface decisions should benefit from testing learning and preference for possible icons. In this study, icons were easily learned, but verbal representations and labeled icons were preferred over unlabeled icons. These results underscore the idea that icon-based interfaces are not always preferred. Both "learning" and "preference" should be considered before implementing an icon-based interface for any new application.

Keywords: Case studies; Design; Empirical studies; Evaluation; Icons; Screen output

Originally published: Proceedings of the Human Factors Society 31st Annual Meeting, 1987, pp. 125-129

Republished: G. Perlman, G. K. Green, & M. S. Wogalter (Eds.) Human Factors Perspectives on Human-Computer Interaction: Selections from Proceedings of Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meetings, 1983-1994, Santa Monica, CA: HFES, 1995, pp. 70-74.