Iconic Communication: Enhance User Experience with Play, Pause, and Password Field Icons

Are you familiar with the icons that appear when you’re watching a video or entering a password? These icons are small but powerful tools that communicate important information to us as users. In this article, we’ll explore the role of two common icons

play or pause icon

password field icon

and how to use them effectively.

Play or Pause Icon:

When you’re watching a video, you’ll typically see two icons — a play icon and a pause icon. The play icon is shown when the video is not yet playing. It’s a triangle pointing to the right, indicating that pressing it will start the video. The pause icon, on the other hand, is shown when the video is already playing. It’s a pair of vertical lines, indicating that pressing it will pause the video.

These icons serve an essential purpose — they tell us what state the video is currently in and what action will occur if we press the button. By using these icons consistently, we can ensure that users always know what’s going to happen when they interact with the video player. So, the play icon tells us that the video is not yet playing, while the pause icon tells us that the video is currently playing, and pressing the button will pause it.

Password Field Icon:

Another common icon that you’ll encounter when entering a password is the open or slashed eye. This icon allows you to reveal or hide your password as you type it in. If you click the open-eye icon, the password will be revealed, and you can see what you’ve typed. If you click the slashed eye icon, the password will be hidden, and no one can see what you’ve typed.

Again, this icon plays a critical role in communicating important information to users. It tells us whether our password is visible or not, and it gives us the option to change that visibility if we choose. However, it’s important to note that the icon should not be used to tell us whether the password is currently visible or not. That information is already available to us. Instead, the icon should be used to tell us what will happen if we click it. So, use the open-eye icon to indicate that the password will be revealed, and use the slashed-eye icon to indicate that the password will be hidden.

At the end of the day, icons are powerful tools for communicating important information to users. By using them consistently and effectively, we can ensure that users always know what to expect when interacting with our applications. So, whether you’re designing a video player or a password field, make sure to use these icons wisely and create a seamless user experience.