Finding
These research findings could serve as a guide to design computer icons that are appropriate for children's education programs, and that attract people to web sites and make web sites more user-friendly.
Paper
Factors affecting the design of computer icons
Citations: 82
Full textAbstract
Abstract The purpose of this study was to identify and investigate the main factors involved in the design of computer graphic user interfaces (GUI), commonly known as computer icons. Nineteen elements related to icon design were extracted from the principles, criteria and guidelines for GUI design. Forty-three Taiwanese designers working in computer GUI design were recruited to rate the importance of each design element. Results from the principal components analysis showed that the subjects’ importance ratings for computer icon design elements were affected by five factors: styling quality, message quality, meaningfulness, locatability, and metaphor. In addition to comprehensibility and identifiability, which previous results have found to be important icon design considerations, styling quality may also be important. Analysis of variance of the importance ratings for elements within each factor found that meaningfulness and locatability were more important than styling quality, message quality and metaphor. Finally, the correlation results indicated that neither computer GUI design experience nor the designers’ gender were related to importance ratings for the icon design elements. Relevance to industry Although the essential considerations for icon design are comprehensibility and identifiability, the results of this research demonstrate that “style” should also be considered as a factor when creating a computer icon. These research findings could serve as a guide to design computer icons that are appropriate for children's education programs, and that attract people to web sites and make web sites more user-friendly.
Authors
Shih-Miao Huang, K. Shieh, C. Chi
Journal
International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics