Earcons and Icons: Their Structure and Common Design Principles

In this article we examine earcons, which are audio messages used in the user-computer interface to provide information and feedback to the user about computer entities. (Earcons include messages and functions, as well as states and labels.) We identify some design principles that are common to both visual symbols and auditory messages, and discuss the use of representational and abstract icons and earcons. We give some examples of audio patterns that may be used to design modules for earcons, which then may be assembled into larger groupings called families. The modules are single pitches or rhythmicized sequences of pitches called motives. The families are constructed about related motives that serve to identify a family of related messages. Issues concerned with learning and remembering earcons are discussed. A preliminary version of this article was presented at the Nineteenth Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences. Meera M. Blattner is also with the Department of Biomathematics, M.D. Anderson Cancer Research Hospital, University of Texas Medical Center, Houston, TX 77030. Authors' prcsmt oddrcsscs: Meera Blattner, L-540, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, P.O. Box 808, Livermore, CA 94550; Denise Sumikawa, L-262, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, P.O. Box 808, Livermore, CA 94550; Robert Greenberg, 4241 Edge Drive, Oakland, CA 94602. BLATTNER, SUMIKAWA, GREENBERG