Icons also widely used in the field of web design , sometimes to enhance the visual display of the layout and sometimes also for better usability.

How does icons induce better usability ? : Usability guru Jacob Nelsen refers 5 quality components of usability as ” Learnability , Efficiency , Memorability , Errors and Satisfaction ( read more ). Icons easily identifies key areas in a layout  by the graphical element , like  helps a layman to understand he can run a print command / take a print out , or view the printer friendly version of the page by clicking that . Or maybe , this helps them to understand the skype id of the site owner is available or by clicking it , the visitor can skype him. Same way , icons also provides memorability , like for example a Search Icon in a layout wherever it maybe or a RSS / feed icon   on a blog etches a mark in their memory that they can always subscribe to its content from offsite .