Checklist for Pictograms, Icons and Symbols

No significant benefits Minor benefits Major benefits
No significant benefits Minor benefits Major benefits

Symbols match the medium
Symbols create the illusion of manipulatable objects, e.g., it should be clear that they can be selected, how to select them and be obvious when they are selected
Graphical symbols are constructed with as few graphical components as possible
Symbols are presented upright
Smooth gradients of colour are used
The symbol stands out from the background
Each icon is distinct from, and clearly visible within, a surrounding group of symbols
Symbols are designed according to a grid or a basic pattern
Angles smaller than 30° as well as filled areas are avoided

Visual graphics
Icons are highly discriminable
Icons remain comprehensible and discriminable through any changes in appearance due to changes in its state or mode
Icons do not overlap
Icons are not differentiated by colour alone
The visual appearance of icons is consistent within the set of icons
Icons are labelled consistently

Visual animations
Animation does not reduce the comprehensibility and recognisability of an icon
Animation is within icon boundaries so as not to occlude other icons or obscure the user's context
Animations are simple
Animations are not automatic

Speech output
There is a summary or outline of a page
Information is presented in a logical order
Different voices are used for different interface elements
Human voices are used as much as possible
The maximum word level to use is 160 words per minute
Messages are presented serially
Experienced users can reduce the number of prompts
Non-relevant speech is eliminated

Non-speech audio output
Sounds are from real world situations whenever possible
The pitch is within the hearing range (minimum 125 Hz to 150 Hz, maximum of 5kHz)
Metaphors are clear and easily understood
Earcons are as short as possible
There is a gap between consecutive earcons
Active training or an intelligent help facility is provided

Vibro-tactile icons
Stimuli is between 50 and 400 Hz
No more than 4 intensity levels are used
No more than 9 frequency levels are used
Stimuli are not painful after prolonged use
The user can adjust the stimulus intensity
There is a facility for turning off tactual output
Audio noise from the tactual display is minimised

Kinaesthetic output
Output is easily discriminated by potential users
There are exploration strategies provided
Navigation information is provided

Multimodal symbols
Serial events in different modalities have a natural sequence
Use of a modality to present information is well suited to the information it is presenting

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