Learn in the textbookUX Methods, Cognition, and Visual Representation
DefinitionA signifier (シグニファイア) is a perceivable cue that lets people notice how they should handle an object.
ExplanationThe possibility for action that arises between an object and a person, such as "can be pressed" or "can be grabbed," is called an affordance (アフォーダンス). Cues can take the form of, for example, a part's shape or color, or the text on a display. When the cues are well chosen, people can operate something without hesitation and without reading any instructions.
AnalogyIt is like walking into a shop for the first time and knowing where to queue just by seeing footprint marks painted on the floor in front of the register.
Memory hookThe word comes from the English verb signify (to indicate or mean), so think of it as "something that indicates."