Icon Interpretation and Understanding
Published a paper in the Ergonomics International Journal, that analyzes the comprehension of icons on washing machines.
OVERVIEW
The paper focuses on understanding how icons present on washing machines are interpreted by Indian audiences. As a part of the research conducted, people of different ages and backgrounds were asked to identify different icons present in leading Washing Machine brands in India.
TEAM MEMBERS
Kavya Rai. Prabodh Bharadwaj. Somya Jain. Rohan Sridhar
PUBLISHED ON
15 June 2018
ABSTRACT
Electronics and appliances are often designed and manufactured from all around the world and imported to India. Hence, they are not designed considering the Indian mental model in mind. In a country where there are 22 official languages and a countless number of dialects and cultures, it is necessary to communicate through a visual language rather than words or written language. Icons and visuals on appliances become essential for comprehending the functionality of an appliance. This paper interprets a case study on one such home appliance which is widely used by Indians; it investigates the usability of icons and product interface present on washing machines. The paper also highlights cross-cultural icon design implications and understanding of mental models of the users. The study has been carried out in 3 phases – questionnaire, comprehension test, and ranking test. The data collected from the 3 phases have been analyzed to determine the impact on the Indian audience.
CONCLUSION
Based on the research conducted, the main insight was that icons have different interpretations in different countries and cultures. The Indian mental model is different from the countries where washing machines are designed and manufactured. Hence, the visuals which fit in their mental model, regional ethnicity, the geographical boundary is not the same as that of the Indian audience. A low level of comprehension is also due to the inconsistencies across brands and within the brand.