[Tango-artists] Search/Find and Zoom Metaphors

[Matthew Paul Thomas]

On 4 Jan, 2006, at 6:03 AM, Steven Garrity wrote:
> ...
> I would like to suggest that the magnifying glass is a better metaphor  
> for zooming, than it is for search. For search, we could us  
> binoculars.
> ...

Food for thought:
*   Mac OS X Spotlight: magnifying glass (not a spotlight!) = Search.
*   Microsoft Windows: magnifying glass on a page = Find Files.
*   Microsoft Office: magnifying glass on a page = Print Preview.
*   Microsoft Word: magnifying glass on a page with text = Magnifier.
*   Microsoft Word: magnifying glass on a page with a planet = Web
     Page Preview.
*   Microsoft Office: magnifying glass on a planet = Search the Web.
*   Internet Explorer: magnifying glass on a planet = Search the Web.
*   Microsoft Excel: magnifying glasses on "-" and "+" = Zoom Out/In.
*   Mac OS X Preview: magnifying glasses on "-" and "+" = Zoom Out/In.
*   Adobe Reader: magnifying glasses on "-" and "+" = Zoom Out/In.
*   Adobe Reader: bulbous circles enclosing "-" and "+" = Zoom Out/In.
*   Netscape versions 3 and earlier: binoculars = Find.
*   Netscape versions 4 and later: flashlight = Search.
*   A lot of Mac software: small thing and large thing = Zoom Out/In.

A bit of a mess ... I'm especially impressed at how Adobe Reader has  
two sets of icons for exactly the same zooming functions.

Binoculars aren't nearly as recognizable as a magnifying glass at the  
small size needed to fit next to (or inside) text fields.

The Mac's small thing and large thing idea is interesting, because the  
thing is tailored to the application. When designed to fit in a status  
bar, the thing is an abstract set of mountains  
<http://stpsb.org/itc/Intech/quick_tips/appleworks/ 
word_processing.htm>. In iPhoto, it's a picture of someone's head  
<http://www.augfrance.com/Microcam06/iPhoto4/images/iphmod04.jpg>. And  
in Safari, it's a capital A (just like in Internet Explorer 4 and  
earlier for Windows). Of course this variation makes it rather  
difficult to theme, but Aunt Tillie isn't interested in theming.

> A magnifying glass does zoom - you use it to make something bigger,  
> more detailed.

Ah, but you can't use a real magnifying glass to zoom out of something.  
You can use binoculars for that, but only if you hold them back to  
front. ;-)

-- 
Matthew Paul Thomas
http://mpt.net.nz/