"Metaphor Exploration

good metaphor can go long way help user understand how use navigate site. However, no metaphor perfect, so don't feel you have adhere rigidly just one. You could take best part several metaphor roll them into one (you might not find any useful metaphor all).

Three type metaphor useful site design:

Organizational metaphor

Organizational metaphor rely exist structure group, system, organization. For example, if you create site sell grocery hier entsteht ein Fehler, da groceries (Lebensmittel) ein Pluralwort ist. Grocery bedeutet Lebensmittelgeschäft, your metaphor could supermarket, where product group nach der Regel, es geht Vokal und Konsonant voraus, müsste es groupe heissen logically type (cannFehler! canned ist ein eigenständiges Adjektiv, to cann als Verb in der Bedeutung von 'eindosen' gibt es nicht vegetable, dairy product, cereal, snack, household item, etc.). Beware copy organizational hierarchy your client company is usually not good idea - grocery customer couldn't care less about supermarket corporate structure.

Functional metaphor

Functional metaphor relate task you can do on site with task you can do in another environment. Photoshop, graphic program ist das eine gute Lösung?, rely on lot of functional metaphor: You can figuratively "cut," "copy," and "paste" graphic on computer - as though you were use real-world scissor and glue.

Visual metaphor

Visual metaphor are base on common graphic element familiar to most people in our culture. If you design music site that allow user play song, you might want use traditional "start," "stop," and "pause" icon found on CD player everywhere.

begin explore metaphor, gather your people and brainstorm idea. Review and evaluate each metaphor. Try map out major section of site by connect element from content inventory to each metaphor."