圖標設計風格對於主觀偏好、視覺搜尋及記憶之影響

The Influences of Icon Design Styles on Subjective Preference, Visual Search, and Memory

本研究探討兩種代表性的應用程式圖標設計風格（扁平設計、擬物設計），於三種作業（偏好作業、視覺搜尋、記憶作業）下的影響。熟悉度是影響圖標運作的重要因素，其中，應用程式熟悉度是透過主觀熟悉度評分，區分為高、低應用程式熟悉度，而圖標使用頻率，則是受試者參與實驗過程中對於搜尋實驗圖標的使用經驗頻率來定義，在實驗區段一為低圖標頻率，在實驗區段三為高圖標頻率。本研究將釐清圖標運作如何受到圖標設計風格、應用程式熟悉度（高、低程式熟悉度）及圖標使用經驗頻率（高、低圖標頻率）的影響。偏好與記憶作業操弄圖標設計風格及程式熟悉度，搜尋作業則多加入圖標頻率，搜尋目標是透過聲音提示來模擬使用者有意圖要去點選某種應用程式的歷程。研究結果顯示人們較偏好擬物圖標，在搜尋高熟悉應用程式時，擬物圖標較易被找到，在記憶作業中，擬物設計能較正確判斷未出現過的低熟悉應用程式。扁平圖標的優勢則是在對於圖標較熟悉後，能較快找到低程式熟悉。本研究結果顯示在選用圖標時，可依據使用者對於應用程式熟悉度、設計風格以及關注的認知作業歷程，來選擇合適的圖標設計。

This study compared two representative design styles (flat, skeuomorphic designs) to examine the effects of design style on the users' preferences, visual search, and memory tasks. Furthermore, app familiarity and exposure experience with icons have been considered key factors across icon studies. In this study, app familiarity was determined through a questionnaire of familiarity ratings to categorize app functions on a scale from high familiarity to low familiarity. As participants gained experience with the icon stimuli in the search task, icon frequency referred to participant performance before regular use in the first block (low frequency) and after regular use in the third block (high frequency). We investigated how app icon processing was affected by design style, app familiarity and icon familiarity. For the preference and memory tasks, we manipulated the design style (flat, skeuomorphic) and app familiarity (high, low). For the search task, design style, app familiarity, and icon frequency were manipulated. The target icon in each search trial was expressed through a spoken request to simulate users' regular interactions with app icons. The results revealed that skeuomorphic designs were associated with higher subjective preference, visual search for highly familiar apps, and correct rejection for less familiar app functions. In contrast, flat designs were superior only when searching for less familiar app functions in the high icon frequency conditions. Accordingly, the familiarity/novelty of app functions, design styles, and possible processes should also be considered when choosing icons for user interfaces.