(Using a metaphor to describe a concept of metaphors, very meta.)
Metaphors can greatly help with creating understanding because Associations between concepts is thinking.
But metaphors can also limit understanding. One thing can be explained by many metaphors and there isn't necessarily one, best metaphor for any thing. Different metaphors invoke different concepts and can thus create different understandings of the same thing.
This begs some questions: Can two different understandings of the same thing be better/worse? Is it measurable? Where is the line between a wrong and right understanding of something? Is an understanding "right" when it helps us achieve something worthwile? Is it "right" when it matches a general definition?
Tags: understanding metaphors in design
ID: 2021-0128-1030
References:
Metaphors work great for simple concepts. E.g. illustrating a relationship between two objects by the thickness of the connecting line. The…
Any given metaphor/analogy/lens/perspective only trigger a certain, limited set of associations. It can be still useful, but using only one…
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