[WEB4LIB] Re: Library Websites that use

[Jennifer Ward]

On Fri, 10 Dec 2004, K.G. Schneider wrote:

:I dimly recall reading, almost a decade ago, that one issue with icons is
:forcing the user to translate from the picture to what it means--not unlike
:when libraries use all kinds of colored dots on books which require patrons
:to refer back to lists to translate what those dots mean. 

I think that was part of the problem with our use of icons. It made plenty 
of sense to us that a lock indicated it was restricted, the globe was open 
access, the cd-rom was cd-rom on campus, etc. Again, it is forcing users 
to first understand our wacky concepts, then to map those concepts to an 
icon. I can see where letters for mail or a printer for printing would 
work well, because those are concepts that they encounter on most, if not 
all, sites they frequently use.

--Jennifer

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