Icons - under Human Computer Interaction (HCI)

1. The Resonant Interface
ICONS
Yohan
Sachith
Nayanajith
Kavindu

2. What is an icon?

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. Using Icons in InteractionDesign
How 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.

6. Using Icons in InteractionDesign
 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

7. Using Icons in InteractionDesign
How 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.

8. Icon can save the space and well arrange the screen.
Microsoft word 2003 insert menu Microsoft word 2007 insert menu
Ribbon view
UsingIconsinInteractionDesign

9. UsingIconsinInteractionDesign
Conventions

10. Using Icons in Interaction Design
Context
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 contexts
Physical – Location, Contrast, Juxtaposition, Density
Cognitive
Metaphorical
Temporal

11. Icons should be used wherever they are
appropriate.

12. Globalization–Localization
Sri Lankan road signs
Images are often considered to be “language agnostic”

13. Globalization–Localization
Signs can also be localized and reflect very specific
conditions that do not exist in other locations

14. Icon Terminology
Phonogram: 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 or
Concept.
– Logogram (Logograph): a symbol that represents a
Word.

15. Icon Grammar
Icon 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

16. Deconstructing Icons
An icon can be broken down to;
A basic shape
Indicators
Styles
Canonical view
Aggregate symbols

17. Deconstructing Icons
Basic lines and points
Basic shapes
Real life symbols

18. That’s all
Source file
http://www.it.hiof.no/interaction-design/slides/chapter11.pdf
for listening