Assessing the usability of icons in user interfaces

Is visual content in textual search interfaces beneficial to dyslexic users?

“…Huang et al (2002) found that search performance depended on design criteria of the icons. Kacmar and Carey (1991) investigated general users and menus including text, icons and dualmodality displays. They found no differences in search times, but concluded that menus with both content types had the least incorrect selections.…”

Effects of Palm and WinCE menu-design for PDA on users' operating performance and subjective preference

“…The advantage of using symbols is also found in a study by Ellis and Dewar [9]. Kacmar and Carey's study [8] users preferred icons to text for executing tasks even though their performance may be neither better nor worse. Consequently, the users preferred the Palm-menu more than the WinCE-menu PDA.…”

“…Icons offer the perception of affordance, which can facilitate human-machine interaction in terms of ecological perception. Kacmar and Carey [8] also proposed that users prefer icons to text for executing tasks even though their performance may be neither better nor worse. In a study by Ellis and Dewar [9], subjects were shown by a symbolic sign or a verbal sign and then were asked to respond.…”

Effects of training and representational characteristics in icon design

“…Some researchers such as Paivio (1971) have argued that multiple modalities enhance memorability and hence text and graphics together may be more e!ective than pure graphics. Kacmar and Carey (1991), and Egido and Patterson (1988) have shown that text and graphics together improve performance. In addition, the text in languages such as Chinese and Japanese is somewhat graphical and its appropriateness is worthy of consideration (Choong & Salvendy, 1998;Goonetilleke et al, 2001).…”