Abstract
Thomas Erickson pointed out that interface design normally follows the traditional approach of art and design, which requires reworking to refine an idea through visual playfulness until a solution has been achieved. Erickson wrote that ‘design by symmetry works by juxtaposing concepts that are similar at a very deep level — the concepts are symmetric in terms of some deep structure or underlying process. Once the underlying symmetry is established, the designer attempts to extend the symmetry farther, using what is known about one domain to suggest new ideas about the other’. This article uses examples of Maya hieroglyphs, computer icons and parts of other contemporary symbol systems, either forced or as a natural development of visual language, to compare individual or reused elements of these systems; then to consider the potential of visual language systems that have been refined and used over a long period of time, against computer icons, which are a recent development. Certain comparisons have no relationships; they do however, expose the nature of computer icons.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Apple (1987).Human Interface Guidelines: The Apple Desktop Interface. Addison-Wesley, Reading, MA.
Coe, M. (1992).Breaking the Maya Code. Thames & Hudson, New York.
Dreyfuss, H. (1972).Symbol Sourcebook. McGraw-Hill, New York.
Erickson, T. (1990) Interface and the Evolution of Pidgins: Creative Design for the Analytically Inclined. In Laural, B. (ed.)The Art of Human-Computer Interface Design. Addison-Wesley, Reading, MA.
Frutiger, A. (1991).Signs and Symbols: Their Design and Meaning. Studio Editions.
Hamilton, J. (ed.) (1997).The Totally Scantastic guide to Desktop Scanning, EPSON.
Hammond, N. (1982).Ancient Maya Civilisation. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK.
IEC Standard 147: Graphical Symbols (1998). Online at: http://w3.hike.te.chiba-u.ac.jp/iec417/ver2.0/ html/index.html (accessed 16 April 1998).
Jones, T., and Jones, C. (1996).Maya Hieroglyphic Workbook. Unpublished, Humbolt State University.
Kelly, D. (1976).Deciphering the Maya Script. University of Texas Press.
Kress, G. (1995).21st Century A-Z Literacy Handbook. Preston C., Project Miranda, Institute of Education, London.
Mealing, S. and Yazdani, M. (1990). A Computer-Based Iconic Language,Intelligent Tutoring Media.1(3).
Neurath, O. (1936)Basic by Isotype. Psyche Miniatures General Series No. 86, Kegan Paul.
Sampson, G. (1985).Writing Systems. Hutchinson.
Wang, W. (1981). Language Structure and Optimal Orthography. In Tenz, O. and Singer, H. (eds)Perception of Print. Erlbaum, Hillsdale, NJ.
Wilson, H. (1993).Understanding Hieroglyphs. Michael O'Mara.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Honeywill, P. A comparison between Maya hieroglyphs and computer icons. AI & Soc 14, 395–410 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01205518
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01205518