Assesment 4: Information structures and navigation
1. Metaphor:
- In film for the passage of time:
The most common metaphor in film for the passage of time is the clock or sequences of the seasons. With the first example, the clock does not need to be alone in the scene; it can be in the background in a strategic point for the audience being able to see it. In the second one, the change can be by the clothes and the atmosphere.
- In real life for direction and movement:
- On the computer for processes/tasks in software programs:
In Windows is represent with a blue circle spinning as the arrows of a clock. It is an icon next to the arrow to help us understanding that we have to wait for the computer to work.
2. Discuss Theodor Holm Nelson’s criticisms of the ‘desktop’ metaphor, e.g. describe briefly why you agree or disagree with the following view point: -
“We are told to believe that this is a “metaphor” for a ‘desktop’. But I personally have never seen a desktop where pointing at a lower piece of paper makes it jump to the top, or where placing a sheet of paper on top of a file folder causes the folder to gobble it up. I don’t believe such desks exist; and I don’t think I want one if it did.”
Nelson, The Art of Human-Computer Interface Design, (1990: 237)
I agree with Holm Nelson. I do not think there is a metaphor in the desktop as it is just icons representing real life objects in the virtual context. I see it more as a representation, a translation in pictograms of codes we cannot understand.
3. Three icons:
They are simple icons easy to understand. They are representations of daily objects for symbolizing actions that the computer can do. They are design for everyone to be able to use by anyone.
4. Screen space:
Movie example:
Computer example:
5. Modular Systems:
6. Navigation:
Examples of computer based navigation systems:
Examples of real world navigation systems:
Identify commonalities between computer based and real world navigation systems:
Both of the systems are represent with a symbology easy to understand. The illustrations are always present as a way to guide the person looking at it. They tend to be simple so anyone can follow the instructions no matter where they come from. For computers, I feel it is more intuitive and difficult for old people that is not used to how computers works; meanwhile they can perfectly use real world navigation.
7. Navigation in your website:
(“Random” comes with the theme used. I have decided to keep it as I found interesting the fact of it showing a different post all the time from the actual posts and reblogs).