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this reminds me of an article I read about how we need to shift our vocabulary when we describe digital interfaces. That the analogies implied in words like "fi

by tjmaxal 17y ago

this reminds me of an article I read about how we need to shift our vocabulary when we describe digital interfaces. That the analogies implied in words like "file" or "folder" no longer accurately describe the functions and we need to ditch them and create new words that don't have the baggage of previous meanings. It also reminds me of a product design article I once read that talked about how most times when you pull on a push door or vice versa that it was most likely the door's fault for not being design properly for it's intended use.

Qz 17y ago
I agree. I think there's a legacy of UI design over the past decades that many software houses still cling to. File/folder, menu bars and so on. I'm not really an iPhone/iPad fan, but I think they have and will continue to contribute a lot towards getting people to rethink UI design. Also, the article you're thinking of is probably either this book: http://www.amazon.com/Design-Everyday-Things-Donald-Norman/dp/0465067107/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1270182121&sr=8-1 http://www.amazon.com/Design-Everyday-Things-Donald-Norman/d... Or an article about it. (The push/pull door things is a classic example out of that book.)
- tjmaxal 17y ago
  Thanks for tracking down a link. I'm terrible at remembering references.
Daniel_Newby 17y ago
File is still somewhat reasonable, since one of the meanings is an ordered sequence of similar-sized things in a row. (As in "rank and file".)
nitrogen 17y ago
the analogies implied in words like "file" or "folder" no longer accurately describe the functions For someone like me who grew up with computers almost from day one, catching the tail end of the BBS era and nearly all of the Web, it's actually more difficult to think of physical file folders than digital storage when I hear the words "file" and "folder." The meanings of those two words are entirely digital in my mind, and the physical analogies are the anomaly that requires extra conscious effort to process.

by tjmaxal 17y ago

Qz 17y ago

I agree. I think there's a legacy of UI design over the past decades that many software houses still cling to. File/folder, menu bars and so on. I'm not really an iPhone/iPad fan, but I think they have and will continue to contribute a lot towards getting people to rethink UI design. Also, the article you're thinking of is probably either this book: http://www.amazon.com/Design-Everyday-Things-Donald-Norman/dp/0465067107/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1270182121&sr=8-1 http://www.amazon.com/Design-Everyday-Things-Donald-Norman/d... Or an article about it. (The push/pull door things is a classic example out of that book.)

tjmaxal 17y ago
Thanks for tracking down a link. I'm terrible at remembering references.

Daniel_Newby 17y ago

File is still somewhat reasonable, since one of the meanings is an ordered sequence of similar-sized things in a row. (As in "rank and file".)

nitrogen 17y ago

the analogies implied in words like "file" or "folder" no longer accurately describe the functions For someone like me who grew up with computers almost from day one, catching the tail end of the BBS era and nearly all of the Web, it's actually more difficult to think of physical file folders than digital storage when I hear the words "file" and "folder." The meanings of those two words are entirely digital in my mind, and the physical analogies are the anomaly that requires extra conscious effort to process.