Path: utzoo!dciem!nrcaer!sce!sunray!emoffatt
From: emoffatt@sunray.UUCP (Eric Moffatt)
Newsgroups: comp.cog-eng
Subject: Re: Possibility of universal icons
Keywords: language, icons, culture
Message-ID: <6954@sunray.UUCP>
Date: 29 Aug 89 18:54:27 GMT
References: <9268@cs.Buffalo.EDU> <1985@softway.oz> <6531@stiatl.UUCP> <30800@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU> <953@ciss.Dayton.NCR.COM>
Reply-To: emoffatt@cognos.UUCP (Eric Moffatt)
Organization: Cognos Inc., Ottawa, Canada
Lines: 39


   It occurs to me that one truly universal symbol would be the
   image of a human being. An icon indicating which path to take
   should contain a RECOGNIZABLE image of the paths (from the
   point of view of a person looking at the icon) with the image
   of a human being walking down one of them.

   The reasoning is that the icon contains two recognizable PHYSICAL
   referents; the paths and the person. The relationship depicted
   in the icon represents the desired physical relationship (eg. walk
   down the path). The minimum number of cognitive steps are needed to
   translate the icon's components because no "symbols" are used. A
   stick figure image of a person requires "interpretation" in order
   to be recognized as a human being while an accurate image is simply
   recognized.

   If the viewer of an icon has unique recognizable PHYSICAL analogs
   visible from the icon viewer's location then the icon's components
   are interpretable regardless of culture. What is, is. The interpretation
   of the relationship is then left as a trivial excersize to the
   viewer of the icon ;-).

   Note that icons of this type are not really that useful 'cause
   each icon must be designed for each specific use and should be as
   accurate as possible (a photo ?). The question here is: "Are they
   universal??"
   
   I guess that the more general an icon, the more stylized the symbology 
   used to create it, the more cognitive steps needed to interpret it and
   the more likely that one of these cognitive steps is unknown in a
   given culture (eg. Red circle/slash).

   Comments ??

-- 
Eric (Pixel Pusher) Moffatt - Cognos Incorporated: 3755 Riverside Drive
Voice: (613)738-1440 (Research) FAX: (613)738-0002 P.O. Box 9707
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