[IxDA Discuss] Power icon

[Shaun Bergmann]

Interesting.
Unless I was designing something with the understanding that my ENTIRE
audience was comprised of electrical engineers, I doubt I would think this
is a very good design.
Which brings me back to 'How did this awful thing get to be so widespread
and popular?"
Was there a particular product that used it once, way back in the dark ages,
that injected it's branding and just beat the world population into
understanding that "this means power"?

On Wed, Feb 27, 2008 at 2:43 PM, William Evans <wkevans4 at gmail.com> wrote:

>  From electrical engineering. Its a closed circuit.
>
> will evans
> user experience architect
> wkevans4 at gmail.com
> 617.281.1281
>
>
> On Feb 27, 2008, at 5:37 PM, "Shaun Bergmann"
> <shaunbergmann at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > A discussion came up at the office today that got me wondering.
> > Do any of you know the history of the 'Power' Icon?  You know the
> > one:  The
> > circle with the vertical bar pointing up and overlapping the top
> > edge of the
> > circle.
> >
> > This icon was being incorporated into an interface and the argument
> > was made
> > that "not everybody is going to know what that icon means"
> >
> > That's totally possible. If anything stands out as a good example of
> > the
> > statement that there are no intuitive interfaces -- all interfaces are
> > learned -- it's this icon.  The only reason people are going to know
> > that
> > it's the power button is because they know it's the power button.
> >
> > I looked at it's design from a fresh perspective today and really
> > have to
> > question WHY it's become so prevalent?  Visually, it doesn't say
> > "power" to
> > me.  Where'd this thing come from?
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