The idea of broken visual metaphor

What concept?

when we do interface design, if the user is familiar with the pattern of objects from the real world as an interface element, users will be easier to learn the use of products, this approach is visual metaphor (metaphoric). The range of metaphors can be from the entire interface to a small button on the toolbar. Several types?


1 overall metaphor the entire interface uses the metaphorical http://www.aliyun.com/zixun/aggregation/11448.html "> Design method, the most typical example is the game, the whole reality scene moves into the game, the user can know , in the street or on the sea, the house can go in, passers-by can be questioned ...

There are also some tool classes, the overall metaphorical interface of the index class, such as Calendar, time display, player, handwriting board, reader, business card holder, etc.

2 decorative metaphor in the interface of the local use of some of the design techniques to increase the interface of the real sense and beauty. For example, the use of some mechanical mechanism, the reappearance of film scenes, the ordinary decoration of small items, natural phenomena for reference.

3 functional metaphors imply certain functions or show a certain state by means of metaphor, which makes them more recognizable and lowers the user's cognitive cost. such as the application icon, the icon on the button, the button itself, drag the slider groove, time selector, and so on.

What are the benefits of

? Because the interface element is familiar to the user (object or use), the user's brain can be more easily reasoning, in the interface between the elements and functions to establish an intuitive relationship, without the need to understand the real operating mechanism of the product. The simple diagram shows the following:

What is the disadvantage of

?


Everything has its pros and cons, and it may be at a certain point that the benefits will go bad. 1 Challenge user cognition not to reduce the user's cognitive cost? Yes, the premise is that the user has relevant experience, and can be identified to produce a correlation. So if the object of the metaphor is too small, someone may not know it, if the design is too abstract/ugly/complex/not like ..., maybe someone doesn't. 2 Generating noise The real world has more details and more complex things. Too many decorative elements make the interface complex, too much detail to make the image complex, may be decorated to become noise, affect the user's reading of valuable content and understanding of the function. 3 in the long run can reduce efficiency this is from the book (about Face 3) to see the argument, metaphor allows novice users to quickly accept the product, but too loyal to the real world rules, may lose the advantages of the computer world, once the user familiar with the product, it is difficult to form high efficiency, Form idioms (such as the right mouse button, the real world is not, but very efficient). What should I do?


from the disadvantages, combined with the characteristics of the computer world, can sum up some practices. 1 respect the culture of different regions, different ages, different areas of users have their unique knowledge structure and cultural identity, first find out what the product is for the people to use, and then proceed to design. To cite a few examples: the Japanese turn the book in accordance with our ancient right to left habit (read the comics know), and we are from left to right, if we want to do the book design, whether to follow the relevant habits? (not verified). In India, shaking his head to show approval, nod to deny. In India The expression is tragic:. In Turkey, the thumb is an insulting gesture. Then these expressions are also tragic: So, first research and then start, if lazy to do research first, then find the simplest of the most common objects as a metaphor prototype, do not have luck. 2 Do not forget the original intention if it is to better look, give the product more emotional factors, do not overdo it, the purpose of good to achieve, do not just think to be very like real. If it is to imply a certain state or operation, do not overdo it, think the user can understand the time is good, don't just think to be very like real. Sometimes multiple realistic icons are more difficult to understand than abstract icons, and are worth reflecting on. 3 based on reality beyond reality can also be said to play a limited reality under the guise of doing unlimited virtual things. For example, the logic of folders, "Put Files in folders" is the reality, folder put n folders, n folders can also put n files, which is beyond. Another example is the iphone's Timepicker, the wheel is the reality, the data on the wheel can be n more, is beyond.

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