tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33138368.post-1156274335758191602007-11-28T15:19:00.000-05:002007-12-30T21:10:32.993-05:00<span style="font-family:arial;">one of the most glaring examples of how allowing a Technology Department drive the user interface can HURT your user experience is "icon abuse".</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">It's so easy to match a functionality with an icon - it's fun, even. If it's a "Save" task icon that's needed we all know the best thing to do is to choose a cute little diskette icon. yes, we get it, it's clever...blah blah blah. "see? a little diskette! see how cute that is?"</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">But what happens when icons run amuck? Given that a website is filled with such such tasks, my how easy it is to assign a little icon to each and every one!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">But don't be rude. The best way to use icons is to use them sparingly so they "pop" more on the page and allow them to be "special" to the end user and allow them find them more easily.<br /><br />ask yourself these questions:<br /><br />- Is it possible to leave some of the tasks (gasp!) without an icon?<br />- Shouldn't the task itself as a hyperlink be enough to tell the user the point, rather than shoving an icon down it's throat?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">BTW, here's a great example of a page that uses icons sparingly: <a href="http://www.apple.com/safari/download/">http://www.apple.com/safari/download/</a></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Try it next time!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">more on how to allow icons to help, not hurt, your interface coming soon!</span><div class="blogger-post-footer">visit www.rudeusability.com<img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/33138368-115627433575819160?l=www.rudeusability.com'/></div>Greenjarnoreply@blogger.com0