Naslov
Improving visual search in instruction manuals using pictograms

Autori
Kovačević, Dorotea ; Brozović, Maja ; Možina, Klementina

Izvornik
Ergonomics (0014-0139) 59 (2016), 11; 1405-1419

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Radovi u časopisima, članak, znanstveni

Ključne riječi
consumer ergonomics ; perception ; attention and vigilance ; manuals and instructions ; eye-tracking

Sažetak
Instruction manuals provide important messages about the proper use of a product. They should communicate in such a way that they facilitate users’ searches for specific information. Despite the increasing research interest in visual search, there is a lack of empirical knowledge concerning the role of pictograms in search performance during the browsing of a manual’s pages. This study investigates how the inclusion of pictograms improves the search for the target information. Furthermore, it examines whether this search process is influenced by the visual similarity between the pictograms and the searched for information. On the basis of eye-tracking measurements, as objective indicators of the participants’ visual attention, it was found that pictograms can be a useful element of search strategy. Another interesting finding was that boldface highlighting is a more effective method for improving user experience in information seeking, rather than the similarity between the pictorial and adjacent textual information. Implications for designing effective user manuals are discussed.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Grafička tehnologija

POVEZANOST RADA