This study examines the effects of icon complexity, background conditions, and familiarity on visual search performance in visual information environments, focusing on their relative roles. Three experiments manipulated icon complexity (high, medium, ...
This study examines the effects of icon complexity, background conditions, and familiarity on visual search performance in visual information environments, focusing on their relative roles. Three experiments manipulated icon complexity (high, medium, and low) and familiarity under solid-color and map-based backgrounds, as well as light and dark luminance conditions. Icon complexity was quantified using a skeleton-based metric. The results indicate that icon complexity was the factor most consistently associated with visual search performance across conditions. Reaction time generally increased with higher icon complexity, with the longest reaction time observed at the medium level of complexity, indicating a non-linear pattern, while accuracy decreased as icon complexity increased. When contrast was controlled, background luminance did not show a clear effect on accuracy, and familiarity was associated with a consistent complexity-based search strategy across light and dark conditions. Overall, icon complexity played a stable role in visual search performance, while background conditions remained relatively stable factors. The findings provide considerations for map-based interface design, including complexity-based icon systems, familiarity-oriented information structuring, and background contrast adjustment, and offer a perspective for discussing visual search efficiency in map-based environments.