Icon Design Research & Evidence-Based Practice 5

Question 1

Which icon research method asks participants to freely describe what an icon means without any predefined answer choices?

Accepted Answer

Free association / open labeling

Answer

Open labeling (free association) captures unbiased, unprompted interpretations and reveals the full range of meanings users ascribe to an icon.

Question 2

When documenting icon research findings for handoff to a development team, which artifact is most evidence-driven and actionable?

Accepted Answer

A findings report linking specific icon problems to observed error rates and recommended fixes

Answer

A findings report that ties observed data (error rates, task failures) to specific icons and actionable redesign recommendations provides developers with clear, justified guidance.

Question 3

A designer discovers that novice users interpret a 'home' icon as 'settings' while experts interpret it correctly. What type of bias must the study control for?

Accepted Answer

Expertise bias (expert blind spot)

Answer

Expertise bias occurs when icon comprehension diverges between novice and expert users due to differing mental models and accumulated conventions.

Question 4

Which icon quality attribute does research on 'semantic distance' primarily measure?

Accepted Answer

How directly the icon's visual form maps to its intended meaning

Answer

Semantic distance quantifies how much cognitive effort is needed to bridge the gap between an icon's visual representation and its intended function.

Question 5

A usability team uses the System Usability Scale (SUS) after icon set testing. What aspect of usability does SUS primarily measure?

Accepted Answer

Overall perceived ease of use and learnability

Answer

SUS is a validated 10-item questionnaire that measures overall subjective usability including ease of use and learnability across the interface.

Icon Design Practice Test

Icon Design Practice Test

Icon Design Research & Evidence-Based Practice 5