ICON: A REFLECTION OF YOU
Let’s say you know someone named Eduardo. I can show you a picture that looks like Eduardo, play a recording that sounds like Eduardo, or even give you a whiff of something that smells like Eduardo. Any of these may act as a substitute sensory representation of the real Eduardo. The image, recording, and smell correspond to a visual, auditory, or olfactory embodiment of Eduardo’s physical presence. Even if Eduardo isn’t actually there, his physical presence is being mimicked through one of our senses and tricking us into thinking that he is. That’s iconic reference.
Emergent Cognition - Framework 