Interaction design contributions to standardisation of navigation icons

Clear, reliable and communicative icons, central to navigation in ship–bridges, rely on the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 62288 guidelines. This contrasts with uses of technical, industry icon guidance standards and prototypical icon alternatives in Interaction Design. This article explores how guidance on standardised navigation icons for common function controls in IEC 62288 may limit icon development. Following review of related research and analysis of existing professional icon guidelines, conceptual icon design prototypes from Interaction Design are presented to offer prospective and communicatively centred contributions to icon standards. The study is located within qualitative, situated inquiry and Research through Design methodologies in Human–Computer Interaction encompassing conceptual design prototyping and visual design methods. Comparative analysis is made of established icon standard forms and proposed alternatives from the maritime interaction design OpenBridge project. Key findings include identifying that current guidance frameworks for navigational icons contain semantic gaps for interaction designing and operational usage; applicability of a proposed framework enhancing communicativity in icon design and standardisation; and qualitative contribution of a prototype Icon Library to navigation icon designing. Implications for navigation icon design and standardisation processes via conceptual prototype design are discussed as in need of further user study and uptake in the sector.