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Stop using icons in data tables

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Re: Stop using icons in data tables

#41

Post by hulitu »

RupertSalt wrote: post #28
rrherr wrote: post #12

The title is misleading. The message is really: Stop using unlabeled icons in data tables. It says, "Norman Nielson argues that text + icon has the highest cognitive recall and lowest error rate" Here's what the Nielsen Norman Group says about Icon Usability: https://www.nngroup.com/articles/icon-usability/ The conclusion: "Always include a visible text label. As Bruce Tognazzini once said, 'a word is worth a thousan…

In the days of Windows 3.1 and prior Macintosh art, we sort of took it for granted that menus were labeled with English words to reflect the actions taken. Icons provided additional information, like "Hold down Command to do this" or something. As computer OSes became globalized, i18n and l10n began to demand that we abandon English words to describe GUI actions. I believe this was the correct decision. So I viewed i…

So what does the 3 horizontal lines do ? Or the 3 dots ? Or the exclamation sign ?

Your "app" icon says nothing about the code quality of your app and coming with such ideas: " the user will press the icons to see what they do" means: uninstalling.

"Do you want to delete all your files ? [Yes] Remind me later[]"

Re: Stop using icons in data tables

#42

Post by [deleted] »

RupertSalt wrote: post #28
rrherr wrote: post #12

The title is misleading. The message is really: Stop using unlabeled icons in data tables. It says, "Norman Nielson argues that text + icon has the highest cognitive recall and lowest error rate" Here's what the Nielsen Norman Group says about Icon Usability: https://www.nngroup.com/articles/icon-usability/ The conclusion: "Always include a visible text label. As Bruce Tognazzini once said, 'a word is worth a thousan…

In the days of Windows 3.1 and prior Macintosh art, we sort of took it for granted that menus were labeled with English words to reflect the actions taken. Icons provided additional information, like "Hold down Command to do this" or something. As computer OSes became globalized, i18n and l10n began to demand that we abandon English words to describe GUI actions. I believe this was the correct decision. So I viewed i…

[deleted]

Re: Stop using icons in data tables

#43

Post by fainpul »

I agree with the article. What the author doesn't answer is why we're seeing so many visually noisy tables. He seems to imply that designers don't know any better.

There are two different "modes" of looking at a table. One is just "superficially glancing" (like you look at a picture), the other is more like reading, because you look for some specific piece of information. When glancing at a table, the one with more colors and icons looks more pleasing, while plain text looks boring. But when reading the table to get information out of it, the "boring" one (if it's well done) is probably more efficient and a better experience.

And here is the problem: when presenting designs to stakeholders, 100% of stakeholders just glance at the table and always prefer the more colorful table with many icons — they don't realize that actual users, who need to get information from the table, would be better off with the "boring" table.

Re: Stop using icons in data tables

#44

Post by tobr »

rrherr wrote: post #12

The title is misleading. The message is really: Stop using unlabeled icons in data tables. It says, "Norman Nielson argues that text + icon has the highest cognitive recall and lowest error rate" Here's what the Nielsen Norman Group says about Icon Usability: https://www.nngroup.com/articles/icon-usability/ The conclusion: "Always include a visible text label. As Bruce Tognazzini once said, 'a word is worth a thousan…

> Norman Nielson

Is this just a very strange typo or is it a person unrelated to Jakob Nielsen and Don Norman?

Re: Stop using icons in data tables

#45

Post by atoav »

rrherr wrote: post #12

The title is misleading. The message is really: Stop using unlabeled icons in data tables. It says, "Norman Nielson argues that text + icon has the highest cognitive recall and lowest error rate" Here's what the Nielsen Norman Group says about Icon Usability: https://www.nngroup.com/articles/icon-usability/ The conclusion: "Always include a visible text label. As Bruce Tognazzini once said, 'a word is worth a thousan…

No that is not the message. The message is that icons take cognitive energy to parse even if there is a label next to it.

If you have many text options, highlighting some specific ones with an icon is benefitial, as you have an easy way to differenciate it from the "less important" ones without icon. If everything has an icon, that benefit goes away and you could just as well use text.

Re: Stop using icons in data tables

#46

Post by moring »

zx8080 wrote: post #35

Stop showing fullscreen popups. Please. And no, medium is not the last site in the universe to host at.

That was my first thought. A page that talks about cognitive load waits for you to start reading, then throws a newsletter sign-up dialog in your face? The irony...

Oh, but it gets better:

> We have been sold a lie that icons are the universal language of the modern interface.

... placed directly below a button bar that contains only icons.

Re: Stop using icons in data tables

#47

Post by st_goliath »

n8cpdx wrote: post #38
RupertSalt wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In the days of Windows 3.1 and prior Macintosh art, we sort of took it for granted that menus were labeled with English words to reflect the actions taken. Icons provided additional information, like "Hold down Command to do this" or something. As computer OSes became globalized, i18n and l10n began to demand that we abandon English words to describe GUI actions. I believe this was the correct decision. So I viewed i…

> But graphical UIs are mature and we all need to acquire a vocabulary for these, so that information is conveyed across national and linguistic barriers. Or we could just translate the text? Colors and pictures aren’t exactly free of cultural baggage, either.

yes, e.g. the version of Windows 3.x and accompanying office suite that I used as a child had German words next to the icons. The idea of labeling a pictogram with text isn't a concept that suddenly breaks when using a language other than English.

> Colors and pictures aren’t exactly free of cultural baggage, either.

I remember being really confused that I had to click on a picture of a frying pan for "search".

Re: Stop using icons in data tables

#48

Post by jhy »

tobr wrote: post #44
rrherr wrote: post #12

The title is misleading. The message is really: Stop using unlabeled icons in data tables. It says, "Norman Nielson argues that text + icon has the highest cognitive recall and lowest error rate" Here's what the Nielsen Norman Group says about Icon Usability: https://www.nngroup.com/articles/icon-usability/ The conclusion: "Always include a visible text label. As Bruce Tognazzini once said, 'a word is worth a thousan…

> Norman Nielson Is this just a very strange typo or is it a person unrelated to Jakob Nielsen and Don Norman?

It's perhaps a confused reference to their old company, Nielsen Norman Group (NN/g).

https://www.nngroup.com/about/

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