Icons

The statement

The more icons within an interface, the more difficult it can be to navigate.

is so true. With each icon it get’s more complex to understand what’s happening. Think about the Windows file dialog (right click on a file or desktop). Not every action has its own icon. Only a few primary actions have one to better differentiate between them. With In Defense of Text Labels Christopher Butler wrote a great article on Why icons are often irritating and labels are just better (most of the time). Go check it out.