Beyond emoticons : combining affect and cognition in icon design

Recently there has been a shift in emphasis from interface usability to interface appeal. Very few studies, however, have examined the link and evidence regarding the direction of the relationship between the two remains equivocal. This paper examines the nature of the relationships between the usability and aesthetic appeal of icons. The findings from three studies presented here show evidence, not only for the symbiotic relationship between aesthetic preference and performance, but also for the possible causal links between the two. The implications of these findings for interface design and theoretical explanations of usability are discussed.