Metaphors are vehicles that convey the meaning of an object or phenomenon by evoking associative thinking. In simpler words: Metaphors help you understand stuff better.
Here some different types of metaphors: * visual metaphors * rethorical figures * auditive metaphors (e.g. incoming message sound in IM apps) * systematic metaphors aka conceptual metaphors (e.g. in Actor, Stakeholder etc in UML) As you have probably noticed by now, language itself is based on metaphorism. Associating a word with an object in itself already is not solid fact, but metaphor. "Tree" for example stands for a shape, as much as it stands for a plant. Plant stands for an even harder to grasp concept, hard to grasp itself is also a metaphor. "Communicology" by Vilém Flusser addresses these topics in an exhaustive way.. How about developing a systematic metaphor³ for each interaction object we add to a UI during design? * What is the systematic metaphor for "minimize"? * how would one define a systematic metaphor for "full screen mode"? * what is the semantic significance of the cancel button in a webbrowser? i could go on with this for days i bet, since many of the controls and interaction objects we use do not sit upon a proper semantic foundation yet.. please share your ideas! ¹ http://tango.freedesktop.org/Icon_Metaphors ² http://www.markshuttleworth.com/archives/347 ³ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metaphor
_______________________________________________ Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~ayatana Post to : [email protected] Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~ayatana More help : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp
