Metaphors...

Metaphors are in the air…

Yesterday, I was listening to Terry Gross on Fresh Air talking with Bill Moyers about the election. At one point, Bill Moyers quoted Joseph Campbell, “If you want to change a culture, you need to change the metaphor.” This crystallized something I’ve been wrangling with and helped me think about being more conscious of metaphors.

Metaphors are wonderful ways for us to convey concepts and help people understand what to do next. They are, of course, critical to the design profession and the history of computing. But, how often do we consciously consider our metaphors?

Nancy Duarte, from Duarte Design, wrote a blog entry today about using visual metaphors. She leverages political cartoons to convey her message… and has some excellent advice about being more purposeful in our metaphors and helping our “audience” experience the joy of discovery as they unravel the metaphor.

What are some metaphors that have informed your work?