This content was published by Andrew Tomazos and written by several hundred members of the former Internet Knowledge Base project.

Interface Metaphors

Interface metaphors, e.g., desktop, window, folder, originated to help people extend their experience with familiar objects to computers. But what effects do the many mixed metaphors in computer usage have? I know I can "open" or "close" a window and that a window may even have separate "panes," but a window with "tabs?" That's confusing a window with a filing system. And a "window" on top of my "desktop?"

There's a story of a friend working in a help-desk, who told a customer to "close all windows". After a minute the customer told he'd done that and asked "do I need to close all doors as well?"

The metaphors are definitely mixed, and many do not translate well. In Finland for example, I managed to live over 20 years before ever seeing the kind of folders used on computer desktops. It would definitely be interesting to see a visual operating system interface that did not use any metaphors from the "real world" -- what obstacles of current UIs could be overcome? What new interaction techniques could be envisioned?

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