Metaphor - a Working Concept

The purpose of this study is to examine and present an overview of the spectrum of nonliteral expressions, metaphors and tropes in order to develop the terminology and make way for a more extensive use of metaphor in productand system development and design. The developed world is rapidly moving into the post-industrial information age, facing the society with a new set of problems that cannot be solved using only the methods developed in the industrial context. Computerand information systems of high complexity, software and immaterial products like services and concepts but also new advanced technology like electronics are examples of phenomena that have to be explained through terms from other domains. A metaphor is an expression with two conceptual domains where one is understood in terms of the other. Metaphors were previously seen as rethoric tools but today metaphors have been proven to be firmly linked to our way of thinking. Everytime we experience a new phenomenon we try to understand it in relation to our previous experiences and to similar phenomena in a similar way metaphor uses similarities and differences. Metaphors, and other kinds of symbolic and non-literal expressions, are being used in many fields to make abstract and complex phenomena comprehensible and tangible. User interfaces for computers, for example, often use a basic metaphor, but metaphors are also used to explain insurances, banking and telecommunications services and so on. In politics, management consulting and advertising the metaphor is often used for its powerful and sententious properties, and for its ability to create strong visions and concepts. The less ”self-explaining” a product (or a concept) is, the more complex and abstract the message, the better suited is the use of metaphor.