Effective highlighting modes of graphical user interfaces in visual information search

This study discusses the preferred highlighting mode for graphical user interface (GUI) design. The study investigated the effects of different highlighting modes on the search time and accuracy of the element on the screen. The experimental factors were the type of highlighting (color, bold, or color and bold), the target highlighting (highlighted or not highlighted), and the number of elements on GUI (few or many). The participants had to search for a predetermined target on the screen. The evaluation measures were the reaction time and percentage correctly identified. The statistical analysis result shows that bold highlighting had the shortest search time, and color highlighting had the worst accuracy. Under the conditions of this experiment, bold highlighting should contribute to the design of the screen for an easier search of information in terms of both search speed and accuracy.