When we introduce icon-based language into the context of requirements engineering, we must take into account that what users perceive as recognizable and usable depends on their background. In this paper, we argue that it is not possible to provide a single set of visual notations that appeal to all of stakeholders. Instead, we suggest an adaptable preference framework, which generates personalized notations that correspond to personal background. We present and evaluate icon-based language: a new kind of approach to requirements engineering work to explore its possibility and usability. In an initial evaluation of students residing in Finland, results reveal that users are able to recognize a group of icons fairly well. Our findings show that an icon-based language could probably be a positive means in improving awareness of requirements engineering as it tends to take advantages of icons which are intuitively understandable to represent traditional textual requirements.