[WEB4LIB] Re: Library Websites that use Icons

[Jennifer Ward]

As part of our site redesign we did usability testing on a set of pages 
that used icons to denote who could access what resource. The overwhelming 
response was that there were *way* too many icons (I think we had 6 or 7 
total) and users had no idea what they meant. Keep in mind we had a key up 
at the top and used icons we thought were meaningful -- a world for global 
access, a lock for restricted, etc. I think we could probably get away 
with using one or two icons, but that's about it.

I'd recommend mocking up pages with icons you'd like to use and see if 
users can actually figure out what you mean.

--Jennifer

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jennifer Ward
Head, Web Services
Information Technology Services
University of Washington Libraries
phone: 206.685.3121
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



On Thu, 9 Dec 2004, Andrew Nagy wrote:

:Chris, I would also be interested in who has done this as I an in the 
:same position.  In a few small applications I have used icons from the 
:Redhat Linux desktop since they are considered open-source and therefore 
:free to use.  I feel that icons are essential in service-oriented 
:websites as it allows the user to navigate based on graphical icons 
:rather than text.
:
:Andrew
:
:Chris Jorgensen wrote:
:
:>Dear Colleagues,
:>
:>I am looking for examples of library websites that have made good use of
:>icons, as I've been asked to consider (along with my Web Team) adding icons
:>to our website. As I see it, if we decide to add icons to our site, my
:>options are buying a set of icons (from someplace like
:>www.iconexperience.com) or begging the use of some icons off a library that
:>already is using them. Alas, I have only the graphic design skills to alter
:>someone else's work (i.e. change color to match our site), but not to create
:>my own icons from scratch (well, if I wanted them to look decent anyway). 
:>
:>So, do any of you use icons on your library website or know of libraries
:>that use them effectively? I'm not really worried about getting permission
:>to use the icons at this point--I'm just trying to gather some examples to
:>show to my Web Team for them to consider if icons are the way we want to go.
:>
:>Please respond off-list, and I'll be glad to compile my list of icon-using
:>sites and post it if anyone is interested.
:>
:>Thanks in advance!
:>
:>Chris Jorgensen
:>Reference/Web Services Librarian
:>Reinert/Alumni Memorial Library
:>2500 California Plaza
:>Omaha, NE 68178
:>voice: 402.280.1757
:>fax: 402.280.2435
:>email: cjorgensen at creighton.edu
:>web: http://reinert.creighton.edu