icons used in transmogrified

[kaigou]

Title:
icons used in transmogrified

Area:
icons, usability

Summary:
The icon used for "filtered post" in transmog style is identical to the icon traditionally used to indicate "protected from viruses": a shield.

Description:
Could we possibly get that "filtered" icon* changed to something more intuitive? Or at least to something less misleading?

I know the notion of "filter" is a hard one to create an intuitive icon for, but honestly, the one being used doesn't make me think "filter"; it's too much like the MacAfee and DiskWarrior styled shield icon/badges. Every time I see a post with that on it, my first reaction is, "how the hell did a virus get into my post?" as though the icon is trying to alert me that my post has been cleaned. I see the icon nearly daily, yet it's still losing its uphill battle against nearly a decade of "shield = VIRUS!!" reinforcement. 

ETA: icon in question is

Other applications using a variation on the shield-shape: Norton Antivirus, Windows Network Security, eScan Virus Check, Windows Anti-Virus Software, Hotspot Shield, Symantec Antivirus, A-Squared Anti-Malware, Spy Sweeper, Windows Updater (tray icon), Ewido Anti-Spyware, AVG Anti-Spyware, Anti-Malware 2009, Sophos Anti-Virus, USB Disk Security, Orbasoft ApS [...and more but I got tired of typing.]

UPDATE 8/21: proposed icon on the boards (see comments) is by Turlough, using two silk icons together:

From a usability perspective, "filter" is one of the hardest concepts to iconify, because it's not a concrete thing. (I've even seen "flour sifter" used as "filter"-icon, and how many people still know what that is?) The difficulty is perfectly illustrated by the fact that DW's "filter" icon isn't even "filter"-like, but instead is trying to riff off the idea of "shielded".

In a new application, we can and do learn new icon-meanings, which may complicate the learning curve but afterwards we're savvy. In this case, though, DW is trying to pre-empt an icon that has a well-established meaning. That makes for some major cognitive dissonance. I'd say I'm pretty savvy usually, but I keep stumbling when I check the settings after posting. If it's late, or my eyes are tired, a few times I've even automatically clicked on the little shield, nervously expecting a message to pop up from DW about how I just got stopped from sending the I-love-you-virus to everyone on my flist. Or something equally horrendous.

Either come up with an icon that does relate to the concept of "filter" (good luck, because it is hard) OR shift the semantics to a word that can be illustrated more easily (much as 'shielded' -> 'protected' does) and transition in a new/unfamiliar icon to go with it.

* I have no idea whether the icon is consistent in all styles; I'm only familiar with transmog to any degree.

Poll #1056 icons used in transmogrified

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 50

View Respondents

This suggestion:

View Answers

Should be implemented as-is.
19 (38.0%)

Should be implemented with changes. (please comment)
12 (24.0%)

Shouldn't be implemented.
10 (20.0%)

(I have no opinion)
9 (18.0%)

(Other: please comment)
0 (0.0%)

Comments

[triadruid]

Can you link to the icon in question? I'm not sure I'm thinking of what you're thinking.. what LJ represents as or ?

[forthwritten]

I'm pretty sure it's

[kaigou]

Yep, that's it.

[ninetydegrees]

Just a note: this icon is not specific to Transmogrified. It's the default icon used throughout the site (see http://www.dreamwidth.org/support/faqbrowse.bml?faqid=133).

In this case, though, DW is trying to pre-empt an icon that has a well-established meaning.

Not well-established to me. I've never used the software you mention. Just saying; I'm actually using my own icons.

[zvi]

I won't vote for a don't use this icon proposal, unless the icon is offensive in some way. I need an actual alternate proposal to evaluate, to see whether or not the new proposed icon seems clearer.

DW is using silk icons, but [I am not an owner] might be willing to snag a more appropriate icon from a different icon set, so long as the icon set was available for free for commercial use.

[kaigou]

Honestly, I've seen the attempts different developers have made at a "filter" icon, and it's very hard. None of them ever really seem to universally come back with "oh, yeah, that's a filter," which is why I suggested that perhaps the semantics of "filter" be adjusted, as well. That might make it easier to pick from among the silk icons or similar, to find something a bit less confusing.

[kaigou]

Err, I meant "come back with this" in context of "when doing user testing for icons and design, etc".

[kerravonsen]

Fair enough; but I agree with the original poster that the shield is confusing. I prefer the icons that LJ uses for this purpose; the padlock and the double-lock of a different colour.

[snakeling]

What about a funnel icon? Or maybe a funnel + padlock?

[phoenixsong]

While I don't have the "VIRUS!" reaction kaigou has, I do think it's not the most intuitive icon I've ever seen.

I know you're not the one to make the decision, but looking at the full set, I like bullet_key or group_key as alternates.

[cheyinka]

But the current locked entry is a padlock (lock, on the list), so having it just be a key doesn't seem to fit - the key's the opposite of the padlock, isn't it? And IIRC if you're seeing someone else's locked posts, you see the padlock whether it's on a filter or not, so this would only be for confusion for the journal owner.

group_key, maybe - I like table_key, for "this is the list of people with the key". A table and a padlock would be even better, but that's not on the list (probably too hard to get a recognizable lock that small).

[kaigou]

I think a funnel is what MS uses, so it's an established "filter" icon, in that (at the very least) MS/PC users would find it recognizable. (To me, it looks wierd, thanks to someone in user-testing who thought it was "an upside-down dummy's cap, y'know, like in Harry Potter" ...but that's pretty memorable on its own. Heh.

[kaigou]

But there are combined icons, like scroll+key, for something to do with scripts. Maybe something like "open book + lock" to illustrate that it's "reading list + limited access" ? So instead of calling it "filtered", it's called "limited access group" or, hm, something along those lines? In which case it's much easier to iconify.

[zvi]

That's ... still not an alternate proposal. I mean, you don't have to propose an alternate icon in order to make the suggestion, but I won't vote for your proposal unless it's an alternate proposal, instead of just a proposal to get rid of what we have.

[kaigou]

Sigh. Allow me to rephrase, slightly, for clarity:

I'm aware my suggestion is not a specific proposal, outside the suggestion in the post: Either come up with an icon that does relate to the concept of "filter" (good luck, because it is hard) OR shift the semantics to a word that can be illustrated more easily (much as 'shielded' -> 'protected' does) and transition in a new/unfamiliar icon to go with it. I'm not suggesting at all that this icon simply be discarded & no replacement chosen. I'm just saying this particular icon is an unfortunate choice, given its wide usage with an existing common meaning that doesn't overlap well with "filter".

More than that, I won't do or say, because I'm not going to do the developer's or site architect's job for them. I'm just pointing out that what has been developed needs some refinement. How to resolve it? How DW in particular would resolve it? I don't know. But from the POV of someone who works with usability, it's an issue. That's all I'm saying. I just thought it should be on the radar.

[kyrielle]

Agreed, I find it confusing for the same reason. (I also find a bell for 'track this' completely non-intuitive, but at least it's so bizarre that I don't interpret it as anything else, I just go 'WTF?' periodically. The shield is easily confused with another meaning that isn't intended, the bell is just...really really random.)

[kaigou]

at least it's so bizarre that I don't interpret it as anything else, I just go 'WTF?' periodically

hah, it's good to hear I'm not the only one. That's the trick with iconage: either you pick something so clearly established for the purpose (like the 'printer' icon we're all used to seeing by now) or you pick something so off-the-wall that you can create a connection from scratch.

[afuna]

The bell, IIRC, was there because you get notifications == alerts (and there was nothing else which clearly established the purpose which fit the bill *g*)

[kaigou]

Yah, yah, the logic's there once you think about it. Though personally, I got more used to the bell once I got used to also seeing it in the Mac system -- part of that "when you see it in similar use on a daily basis, you connect the concept" which is what makes icons so easy, and yet so hard.

[afuna]

Yes! Like the shield icon above!

*ducks*

[kaigou]

So you're saying when I see it I should be thinking "omfg, dw intercepted a sudden attack of the melissa virus!" ?? oh, well, I feel so much safer now! /snark

hehe.

(no, seriously, what was wrong with just using a variation on the 'lock' image? a 'filter' is really just a subset of the locked-post/friends-only concept. honestly, if I were assigning icons, I'd argue more for a shield being related to the age-designation on posts, in the sense of "shielded from too-young eyeballs" or some such. although come to think of it, some kids are kinda like viruses...)

[cesy]

I actually quite like the current icon, and I find it helps to be easily distinguishable from the standard access-locked icon.

[yvi]

I like it as well. Wasn't the option called 'protected' once upon a time?

[kaigou]

Suggestion a friend of mine just made: using an icon that shows a clump of people-shapes + a lock, to indicate a locked set of friends. Which I'm thinking might be far more intuitive, in general, because it's an illustration of the basic concept: "locked except to certain readers".

[azurelunatic]

I've seen funnels in use for filtering search results in things, but I can't remember the program manufacturer.