"In every study that considered the question"
An essay argues that unlabeled icons in cars and iOS are harder to understand than text labels.
A design essay argues that ambiguous car-light icons can lead drivers to use parking lights instead of driving lights in heavy rain. It then compares Apple’s newer keyboards and iOS 18, 26, and 27 screens, where text labels such as Done, Cancel, and Return are increasingly replaced by icons. Citing usability research, the author says icons are often harder for beginners to understand than labels and can carry overloaded meanings.
From the original article
5 min read at unsung.aresluna.org
I spent most daylight hours yesterday driving in torrential rains in pretty bad visibility, and I was astonished how many cars didn’t have their lights on. It looked something like this. The cars with tail lights on were somewhat visible, but the cars without them didn’t stand a chance: I read up about it, and it turns out that the issue wasn’t as much forgetfulness or carelessness.
By zdw · unsung.aresluna.org
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