Reflection Point: Icons are Everywhere
It’s amazing how many icons are a part of our day to day lives. They are generally small and simple but have a huge impact and can communicate complex ideas. In fact, icons can quickly and effectively communicate concepts and information that we would otherwise never bother to read as we go about our day-to-day activities.
Consider the remote controller for your latest home or office device. When was the last time you looked at instructions for how to use the remote controller? In fact, we expect using a remote controller to be intuitive after putting in all the work to set up a TV, air conditioner, or any other remote controlled device. For well designed remote controllers and devices, this expectation is met partially through the use of icons.
The image on the left is a remote controller for a projector. The only words on it are ‘OK’ and yet it is fit for purpose and can help the user complete a range of tasks. Each button has a symbol or icon on it that communicates what pressing it will achieve. The majority of icons and symbols are based on existing conventions for navigating up, down or back, adjusting the volume or going to the menu page. However, there is one button icon that makes sense in the context of a projector that would not be as easy to understand out of context: the input source icon.
The icon is made up of two basic shapes — an arrow and a rectangle but these are combined to convey a meaning specific to context of the projector. The rectangle represents the projector while the arrow represents the input — this could be a USB, a bluetooth phone, or an HDMI cable. Because these input connections are not mutually exclusive, a user can select the appropriate source for the projected image or video by pressing that button. That’s 25 words of instruction communicated by combining two familiar shapes in a known context.
That’s the power of icons.
Icons are also used to communicate critical information which, if misunderstood, could have serious consequences. A gas stove manufacturer who exports gas stoves to a variety of international markets needs to provide instructions that can be universally understood while keeping production costs low. The manufacturer also has to consider that there may be significant variations in the literacy of his customers so an instruction booklet in all possible languages may not help his customers operate the gas stove safely and effectively. Enter icons.
The image above shows a gas stove and a set of four icons used to great effect for direction and information. When the white dot on the knob and the stove are aligned, the stove is off. No gas is moving from the canister to the stove top. When the user wants to use the stove, they switch on the stove by identifying their desired plate and turning the representative knob so that gas flows and they can light it up. Users can adjust the heat by turning the knob between the low flame which indicates low heat and the high flame which indicates high heat. Users align the two dots once more to stop the flow of gas and turn off the stove. Icons make it possible to communicate all this information simply and concisely without being bogged down the nuances of language. The icons can be universally understood because of how their connection to the real objects (flames, stove top position) and the context of use (the off/position icon).
Well designed icons are a combination of color, shapes, and context making them accessible to as many people as possible. When you start looking, you see icons everywhere — subtly but definitively communicating concepts and instructions. From where to put your recycling to reminding you to get your car engine checked, icons play a significant role in our day to day lives.
