• 22 May 2024
• ⌘
• 3 min read

Table Contents

• Background
• User Study
• Button Labeling
• Possible Contributions
• The alphabets
• Rules for choosing a Alphabet
• Choosen alphabets
• Bopomofo
• Map Symbols
• Hobo Signs
• Mu Alphabet
• Toyokuni Script
• Research Methodology
• Icons Selection
• References

This is the sequel study of my thesis, which was planned to be part of it. Although due to time and i wanted to have a narrowed docuse in my thesis I discarded the Icons Stage.

Background

Human always needed and used some sort of iconography or acronyms for the machine interfaces. It can be massive “machines” like submarine, space shuttle or cars to small and simple ones we have in our home like a microwave oven or radio.

I have been taking photos of hundreds of those machine on dozens of countries I visited for years.

On small machine that we can carry in our pockets are called handheld devices, which aren’t have that much widely use few decades ago, compared to the other machines, in the past we may only have remote controls.

User Study

In

Button Labeling

In my study studies were frist asked to take from a lottery jar a paper, on the paper will be one of the six alpahbet I previoulsy selected.

Afterwards, the participants will be asked to use the characters of that alphabet to label the function of the

Possible Contributions

1. Insights for designing Smart home controllers
2. Iconography for future Controllers

The alphabets

Rules for choosing a Alphabet

1. Should not be an alphabet the user have used before
2. not be too complicated, can be put in small icons and easily reproduce
3. have a variety of shapes, less than
4. have not too many 37 but also not too little more than 13
5. most of them need to have the same proportions, and be square proportioned
6. have more simple and complex icons

Choosen alphabets

The

Bopomofo

1. 37 icons
2. isnt complicated letters
3. have same aspect ratio

ㄅ ㄆ ㄇ ㄈ ㄉ ㄊ ㄋ ㄌ ㄍ ㄎ ㄏ ㄐ ㄑ
ㄒ ㄓ ㄔ ㄕ ㄖ ㄗ ㄘ ㄙ ㄚ ㄛ ㄜ ㄝ ㄞ
ㄟ ㄠ ㄡ ㄢ ㄣ ㄤ ㄥ ㄦ ㄧ ㄨ ㄩ

Map Symbols

Hobo Signs

Mu Alphabet

1. from Fiji

Toyokuni Script

1. 50 characters
2. have current japanese characters
3. some detailed
4. some really abstract messy

Research Methodology

Icons Selection

Matuda’s book “ZERRO” (2021)[^1] offers an extensive collection of alphabets and icons from various global contexts, including professional, religious, medical, mathematical, and pseudo-scientific domains. This diverse compilation served as a significant source of inspiration, guiding me in the exploration and selection icons suitable for my user experiment. To ensure a systematic selection process, several guidelines were followed.

Icons or letters chosen should be unfamiliar to users, avoiding commonly recognized symbols such as the three-line hamburger menu and frequently used numbers to minimize potential bias. Complexity was a key consideration, with a preference for icons that are not overly complex or intricate and can be effectively rendered in small sizes. Furthermore, most of them need to have the same proportions, and tend to choose more square proportioned alphabets.

The alphabets I’ve chosen each contain between 17 and 57 icons. This range provides a good mix of options, ensuring there’s plenty of variety while still keeping it simple for participants to make their selections without feeling overwhelmed. Consistency in proportions was another important criterion, with a preference for icons that maintain uniformity in size and shape, preferably square or square-proportioned when inclined. These guidelines facilitated a methodical evaluation and selection process, leading to the identification of icons best suited for the intended experimental purposes.

References

[1]: Matuda, Y. [松田行正]. (2021) ZERRO 零【初版紅．複刻珍藏版】：世界記號大全 (Traditional Chinese Edition). 漫遊者文化.