> Yet. Yet… the top UX myth of all time is, icons enhance usability
Let's see: Given an icon, how to
I pronounce it, spell it, in case
I don't know what it means
look it up
in a dictionary? I can't.
Long ago I decided that a good user
interface should go light on icons.
In the Web site I'm building,
the screens I'm building have no
icons at all. Instead there are
some push buttons with descriptive
English
words inside them and some links
as words. And each substantive
page has a link "Help" that explains
in detail how to use the page.
Civilization used to have icons,
but then got the Roman
alphabet!
Further, for another "cardinal UX mistake",
a user will never have to run experiments
and explore the user interface (UI)
to discover how to use the Web site.
Further, for another "cardinal UX mistake",
the Web site has no undefined acronyms
or terminology. Each word is used in
its simple dictionary meaning or
otherwise has its special meaning
defined and explained.
When I go live and get some success,
then I'll handle other languages.
Actually, the user interface (UI)
is so simple to use that people who
don't know English should be able to
use the common 'interface experimentation'
(that I don't like and that I hope
my English language users won't have
to use) to see how to use the
site.
But having versions of the site
for languages other than English
should not be too difficult.
I'm writing nice code, but it's
not the most general thing since
Einstein's theory of general
relativity, and with enough
changes for languages, small
screens, etc. might need some
'refactoring'. So be it.
Let's see: Given an icon, how to I pronounce it, spell it, in case I don't know what it means look it up in a dictionary? I can't.
Long ago I decided that a good user interface should go light on icons.
In the Web site I'm building, the screens I'm building have no icons at all. Instead there are some push buttons with descriptive English words inside them and some links as words. And each substantive page has a link "Help" that explains in detail how to use the page.
Civilization used to have icons, but then got the Roman alphabet!
Further, for another "cardinal UX mistake", a user will never have to run experiments and explore the user interface (UI) to discover how to use the Web site.
Further, for another "cardinal UX mistake", the Web site has no undefined acronyms or terminology. Each word is used in its simple dictionary meaning or otherwise has its special meaning defined and explained.
E.g., "UX" abbreviates 'user experience'?