The Resonant Interface

ICONS

YohanSachithNayanajithKavindu

What is an icon?

An icon is a graphical representative symbol of something.

Human Issues Concerning Icons

Icons are based on the system.It doesn’t care if you are a novice user or not.You have to study about the operation only by clicking on the icon.People identify the icons using its representing object.Commonly we can see symbols and metaphors as icons.

Contd.

Icons can’t be isolated. Every icon should achieves a particular task. there can’t be a icon

without doing any thing,

Recognition For example close, maximize, minimize buttons are universally

accepted icons which will recall a persons memory of its operation once seen.

Using Icons in Interaction DesignHow icons help us in our daily activities

Lets think that we’re installing a new software. Once we’re doing it we begin searching for the next best option to click on.

Using Icons in Interaction Design Normally people react to the physical attributes of an

icon and then move to the descriptive context of the icon.

Physical attributes

• Detail• Color• Size• Shape• Location

Using Icons in Interaction DesignHow icons help us in our daily activities

Icons should have distinctive attributes such as size, shape and colour.Icons would be easier to be searched for if they have a proper location.

Icon can save the space and well arrange the screen.

Microsoft word 2003 insert menu Microsoft word 2007 insert menu

Ribbon view

Using Icons in Interaction Design

Using Icons in Interaction Design

Conventions

Using Icons in Interaction DesignContext

Icons are in relation between all the other screen elements

Icons have no meaning without context

• Icon + context + viewer= meaning Horton (1994)Icons have different contextsPhysical – Location, Contrast, Juxtaposition, DensityCognitiveMetaphoricalTemporal

Icons should be used wherever they are appropriate.

Globalization–Localization

Sri Lankan road signs

Images are often considered to be “language agnostic”

Globalization–Localization

Signs can also be localized and reflect very specificconditions that do not exist in other locations

Icon TerminologyPhonogram: A sign or symbol representing a word,syllable, or speech sound.

– Pictogram: A picture that resembles what it signifies.– Abstract Shapes.– Ideogram: A symbol that stands for an idea orConcept.– Logogram (Logograph): a symbol that represents aWord.

Icon GrammarIcon principles and attributes may form an icon grammar. In other words with regular and proper use of icons it creates a universally accepted and recognized standardized graphical representations.

Zoom-in icon

Battery icon

Deconstructing Icons

An icon can be broken down to;A basic shapeIndicatorsStylesCanonical viewAggregate symbols

Deconstructing Icons

Basic lines and points

Basic shapes

Real life symbols

That’s all

Source file http://www.it.hiof.no/interaction-design/slides/chapter11.pdf

for listening