They say a picture is worth a thousand words. But are all pictures created equal? Wouldn’t a block-long mural be worth more than a toolbar icon? After extensive research I’ve found the answer to this critical question.
As you can see, pictures hit the 1000-word mark at just under 1 megapixel. It looks like a standard 16×16 pixel toolbar icon weighs in at an auspicious 42 words. (No data yet on how much badging is required at that size to achieve the full 42-word potential, though).
Very thoughtful analysis. One question: does the line represent a threshold for word potential, or an average? If it’s the former, then the “photomosaic” (popularized in the 90s) could be an issue.
Perhaps there’s another variable that could impact word potential, which I’d call “relative image complexity” (and measured by a simple algorithm, such as “Avg # of contrasting colors per 1000 sq. pixels”.) That would potentially capture those images that cheat (i.e., images that are just collections of smaller images, Hieronymous Bosch paintings, etc.)