. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2013 Aug 1.

Published in final edited form as: Int J Hum Comput Stud. 2012 Mar 23;70(8):535–551. doi: 10.1016/j.ijhcs.2012.02.009

Table 1.

Existing Icon Taxonomies

Classification systems based on pictograph characteristics
	Pictograph does not resemble any real object		Pictograph resembles real object

Lindgaard et al.	Abstract	Mixed	Depictive
Blattner et al.	Abstract	Semi-Abstract	Representational

Classification systems based on the relation between pictograph and referent

	Arbitrary	Direct	Indirect

Lodding	Arbitrary	Representational	Abstract
Webb et al.	Sign	Pictorial	Symbolic
Purchase	Symbolic	Concrete-Iconic	Abstract-Iconic
Rogers	Arbitrary	Resemblance	Exemplar/Symbolic
Lidwell et al.	Arbitrary	Similar	Example/Symbolic
Gaver	Symbolic	Nomic	Metaphorical Structure/Metonymic