A study on the impact of icon structural features in human–computer interface on visual search efficiency

This article, from the perspective of structural features, focuses on in-car user interface icons and explores the impact of different icon structural features on visual search efficiency. Initially, we categorised the icons into four groups based on structural features: individual structure icons (ISI), enclosed structure icons (ESI), horizontal structure icons (HSI) and vertical structure icons (VSI). Subsequently, we conducted a visual search experiment with structure as the sole variable, recording participants' behaviours and eye-tracking data. Finally, data analysis was conducted using methods including analysis of variance and logistic regression. The results indicate that differences in icon structural features significantly affect visual search efficiency, showcasing significant intergroup differences. HSI exhibit the highest visual search efficiency, while ESI show the lowest efficiency. ISI have shorter response times but the lowest matching accuracy. VSI only perform better than ESI. These findings hold significant implications for optimising icon design and enhancing visual search efficiency.