A metaphor can convey a lot of knowledge about the interface model all at once. The advantage of metaphor is that you’re borrowing a conceptual model that the user already has experience with. Pressing Enter every time the cursor gets close to the right margin, as a typewriter demands, would wreak havoc with the word processor’s automatic word-wrapping. For example, it’s easy to say “a word processor is like a typewriter,” but you shouldn’t really use it like a typewriter. A well-chosen, well-executed metaphor can be quite effective and appealing, but be aware that metaphors can also mislead.Ī computer interface must deviate from the metaphor at some point-otherwise, why aren’t you just using the physical object instead? At those deviation points, the metaphor may do more harm than good. We started out by talking about RealCD, an example of an interface that uses a strong metaphor in its interface.
Metaphors are one way you can bring the real world into your interface. Hooks into user’s existing mentalmodels very easily.
