Can icon animation enhance human performance... Or is it just another gimmick?

This study addresses the question of whether there is value to the use of animation in icon design over and above that of attracting attention. Specifically, the study asks if there is any basis in human performance for recommending for or against the use of animation in icon desiga The objective was to examine the effect of animation on icon comprehension and preference at two levels of complexity, as measured in the context of a supermarket-shopping computer program. Results suggest that animation can contribute to users' comprehension of icons that represent commands, and that this contribution may be greater for commands of higher levels of abstraction. Specifically, it appears that simple icons are more comprehensible than complex ones for commands of lower levels of abstraction, while complex icons are more comprehensible than simple ones for commands of higher levels of abstraction. Moreover, animation of complex icons that represent abstract commands may improve icon comprehension far more than animation of either simple or complex icons that represent less abstract commands. The notion that animation can be used intelligently to improve human performance in HCI is supported. Further research is encouraged to identify ways in which levels of command abstraction can be measured reliably, and to establish guidelines for the level of abstraction at which complexity and animation should be introduced into icon design.