Iconic Representation
The use of pictorial images to improve the recognition and recall of signs and controls.
Iconic representation is the use of pictorial images to make actions, objects, and concepts in a display easier to find, recognize, learn, and remember. Iconic representations are used in signage, computer displays, and control panels. They can be used for identification (company logo), serve as a space-efficient alternative to text (road signs), or to draw attention to an item within an informational display (error icons appearing next to items in a list). There are four types of iconic representation: similar, example, symbolic, and arbitrary.1
Similar icons use images that are visually analogous to an action, object, or concept. They ...
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