Design 101 for Educators: An Icon Is Worth (at Least) a Dozen Words "How Icons Work If used with a little thought and consideration, however, icons can dramatically improve your students' ability to scan, understand and remember what they've read. Icons should always do one or more of the following: Quickly and compactly convey concepts: Controls such as "print," "save," "copy" and "paste" are often represented as icons to save the space that lengthier words would take up. Additionally, since each icon is the same size while words can be different lengths, each concept receives the same visual emphasis. Draw attention and emphasize important ideas: On a page full of text, icons at the beginning of particular sections serve as visual organizers. This can help students quickly scan for the information they seek on the page, without taking the time to read into each section individually. Provide a visual memory trigger: Icons can also help students remember underlying concepts by associating them with a visual meme. This cannot replace the underlying text, but by visualizing the icon after reading, some students -- especially visual learners -- may be more likely to recall the associated concepts. One caution about icons is that they lose their impact if overused. Always have a specific and targeted use for the icons you include." https://www.edutopia.org/blog/design-101-icons-jason-cranford-teague?utm_source=you.com
