Effects of pictogram and typeface complexity on visual attention : eye-tracking study

Možina, Klementina (author), Kovačević, Dorotea (author), Buljat, Petra (author), Šarčević, Iva (author), Blaznik, Barbara (author), Medved, Tanja (author), Brozović, Maja (author)

This study investigated how congruence between pictogram complexity and typographic complexity influences visual processing and perceived appropriateness in multimodal communication. Drawing on theories of visual communication, legibility and aesthetic perception, the study examined whether simple or complex pictograms harmonise more effectively with sans-serif or serif typefaces. Ninety participants viewed stimuli from three thematic categories (cobbler, herbal pharmacy and gluten-free restaurant), while their eye movements were recorded using a Tobii Pro Fusion eye-tracking device. Measures included reading time, fixation count and saccade count, together with subjective evaluations of pictogram–typeface suitability. The results show that reading time was the most sensitive indicator of formal congruence. In the cobbler and gluten-free restaurant categories, simple pictograms increased reading time with sans-serif typography but decreased it with serif typography. In the herbal pharmacy category, simple pictograms and sans-serif typography independently supported faster reading performance. Subjective evaluations showed no significant differences between combinations, indicating that participants perceived all pairings as similarly appropriate despite measurable differences in processing efficiency. The findings suggest that the effectiveness of pictogram–typeface combinations depends on both formal complexity and thematic context. Eye-tracking proved valuable for revealing subtle cognitive processing differences not reflected in subjective judgements.

• Language: English
• Keywords: appeal, eye-tracking, pictogram, typography, visual design
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: NTF - Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2026
• Number of pages: Str. 1-16
• Numbering: Vol. 19, no. 4, art. 73
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-184606
• UDC: 655.24
• ISSN on article: 1995-8692
• DOI: 10.3390/jemr19040073
• COBISS.SI-ID: 284401667
• Publication date in RUL: 13.07.2026

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Journal of eye movement research
• Shortened title: J. eye mov. res.
• Publisher: European Group for Eye Movement Research, MDPI
• ISSN: 1995-8692
• COBISS.SI-ID: 3116656

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: privlačnost, sledenje očesnim premikom, piktogram, tipografija, vizualno oblikovanje

Projects

• Funder: ARIS - Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency
• Project number: P2-0450-2024
• Name: Inovativna grafična tehnologija

• Funder: ARIS - Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency
• Project number: BI-HR/25-27-018-2025
• Name: Vpliv kompleksnosti tipografije in piktogramov na uporabniško izkušnjo