Metaphors For HCI Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Metaphors For HCI - Assignment Example Unrelentless research in the field of HCI has been mostly successful. Consequently, this has basically transformed computing (Brad, 1999). Metaphors are often used in daily speech. For example, people speak about time like it is currency or money. By employing a metaphor, time which is an abstract concept is made more understandable and familiar. By using this currency metaphor in respect to time, it becomes normal for people to spend, save, waste, give or borrow time. When we look at how system interfaces are designed, we can also view how metaphors play a vital role. The types of user interactions people do, the objects found on the screen, and names associated with commands are mostly based on terms which are familiar. Icons, desktops, windows, menus, pasting, cutting and copying are all part of the virtual interface metaphor. The desktop metaphor has been used by mac windows system from an early age. This led to the windows operating system designed by Microsoft. The current desktop metaphor poses some significant problems to its users. They have difficulty in; finding or organizing information within the hierarchical file systems, managing their reminders and schedules, obtaining a big picture view, and utilizing archived or stored information, which is often discarded by users so that they are not overwhelmed by it. However, these problems have been addressed in Lifestreams. As such, it is a better metaphor than the current desktop metaphor. Lifestream replaces conventional directories and files by adopting a time ordered stream of documents. The human memory too works this way in storing information. It stores information in a stacking order according to time. To locate, organize, monitor or summarize incoming information, Lifestream uses software agents and stream filters. Lifestream solves the difficulties experienced by desktop system users by providing a metaphor