Icon use by different language groups: Changes in icon perception in accordance with cue utility

Abstract

This study shows that both icon and function label characteristics combine subtly to affect the way that individuals perceive icons. Icon users unconsciously use the cues available to them: the extent to which these cues are utilised depends on the language background of the user. In order to optimise design we therefore need know more, not only about the effects of function label characteristics, but also about how they merge with icon and user characteristics to affect usability. © IFIP International Federation for Information Processing 2005.