Icon identification in context: the changing role of icon characteristics with user experience.
OBJECTIVE
This research examined the relative importance of icon characteristics in determining the speed and accuracy of icon identification.


BACKGROUND
Studies to date have focused on the role of one or two icon characteristics when users first experience an icon set. This means that little is known about the relative importance of icon characteristics or how the role of icon characteristics might change as users gain experience with icons.


METHODS
Thirty participants carried out an icon identification task over a long series of trials to simulate learning through experience. Icon characteristics investigated included semantic distance, concreteness, familiarity, and visual complexity.


RESULTS
Icon characteristics were major determinants of performance, accounting for up to 69% of the variance observed in performance. However, the importance of icon characteristics changed with experience: Semantic distance is crucial initially while icon-function relationships are learned, but familiarity is important later because it has lasting effects on access to long-term memory representations.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest that icon concreteness may not be of primary importance when identifying icons and that semantic distance and familiarity may be more important.


CONCLUSIONS
Designers need to take into account icon characteristics other than concreteness when creating icons, particularly semantic distance and familiarity. The precise importance of the latter characteristics will vary depending on whether icons are rarely encountered or frequently used.
Isherwood
Sarah J
SJ
University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.
McDougall
Siné J P
SJ
Curry
Martin B
MB
D000328:Adult; D003142:Communication; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011939:Mental Recall; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual; D011340:Problem Solving; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D011930:Reaction Time; D012984:Software; D013561:Symbolism; D013997:Time Factors