Nowadays, as IT industry is being developed, many studies are in progress in the areas of user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) and interest in the icons related to these areas are rising accordingly. IT developments have also influenced the vessel sector promoting the development of navigation equipment and systems utilizing IT. However, due to complicated functions of navigation equipment and systems, concerns have been noted about the increased cognitive burden on officers, along with the need for researches on reducing such burden. This study, therefore, was conducted focusing on the design of icons that will reduce cognitive burden on officers when using a typical navigation equipment such as ECDIS(Electric Chart Display and Information System). Based on a survey conducted with experts who have rich experiences in navigation and are currently teaching ECDIS in universities, the present study identified the functions of ECDIS, for which icons should be designed. Accordingly, suitable icons for ECDIS were designed and their effects were evaluated. It is expected that the results of this study will be used as basic data for the design of icons for other navigation equipment in the future.