We are currently trying to improve our usability in our intranet web app. One of our goals is to declutter certain pages which have large Grids on them. To do this, we have started putting commonly used actions (like Delete, Reset To Zero, Mark As Complete, etc.) in the grids as functions.
My initial idea was to find and use icons (i.e. Delete = a big red x, Reset = an arrow curving around itself, Mark As Complete a checkmark, etc.) to represent these tasks. Some of my coworkers agree with me; they say the icons make the tool look more professional. Others, however, say that icons obscure their intended function, and simple text such as Delete would be more appropriate.
Assuming that we will include a tooltip description of the function regardless of the type we choose (icons or text), which one is more usable? Can we use icons for some actions and text for others, or will that hurt usability?
I’m a big fan of icons. Heck, the textarea I’m typing this answer into right now has nothing but icons on top of it. You’ve got to be a moron not to know that a big dark B means bold… I think if your icon is self explanatory (like a big red X for delete etc) then that’s for sure the way to go. It also makes it easier for the user to find the right action.