Learning and Preference for Icon-Based Interface

Icons, or graphic symbols, have recently become widely available as a means of human-computer interaction. There are, however, still no empirically-based guidelines for determining whether or not icons should be used for specific applications. The issue of whether or not to implement an ionic interface can be divided into two questions: (1) Are the icons easy to learn? (2) Will users prefer an ionic interface over a more traditional "command name" interface? A case study is reported in which both learning and preference are tested. While icons were easily learned, an ionic interface was not preferred. Both learning and preference for icons should be considered when making design decisions.