[Tango-artists] Programming metaphors [Was: Icons for inclusion]
Nathan Willis
nwillis at glyphography.com
Tue Mar 13 13:20:56 PDT 2007
Right. Well, I'd be happy to do a claw hammer if desired, but I really
think that time is better spent brainstorming on metaphors for "programming"
itself.
To be certain, all category icons are metaphorical: witness the
graphics:paintbrush example. But in this case the visual metaphor used
suggests something that itself a conceptual metaphor for the task. In other
words, graphics:paintbrush :: audio:musical note, but !:
programming:construction hardware. Namely, the tool/hardware is a metaphor
for construction work, and then construction work is a metaphor for computer
programming. I don't think newcomers get that two-leap metaphor inherently,
it's certainly not the only two-step metaphor that would work, but a
single-step metaphor would be easier to understand.
For example, a hastily brainstormed list of visual metaphors that come
directly from programming itself or the task of working at programming:
flowchart
ones and zeroes
building blocks
computer itself
punchcards
keyboards
blinking LEDs
state diagrams
turing machines
bugs
Sure, punchcards are ancient history; I only know of them from stories told
by my professors in college. But they aren't used for anything else; if you
recognize one there's no chance you will misunderstand what it represents.
Bugs, the opposite problem. I'm not aware of any entomology apps
whatsoever, but there's potential confusion. But construction tools are
also used in the "settings" and "accessories" metaphors, not to mention the
more direct association with CAD/CAM/CNC -type apps.
I did a cursory image search on Google just now on "programming", "debug",
"compile", and "computer science" (an arbitrary list). And among those
terms, state diagrams/flowcharts are far and away the most common result
(well, aside from faculty mugshots....). Anybody else care to see what that
stirs up, metaphor-wise?
Nate
On 3/13/07, Andreas Nilsson <nisses.mail at home.se> wrote:
>
> Hi Nathan!
> I was referring to a drawn proposal for a new developer category icon, I
> was under the impression you had fixed one.
> Sorry for being unclear.
> - Andreas
>
> Nathan Willis wrote:
> > This one what?
> >
> > Nate
> >
> > On 3/13/07, *Andreas Nilsson* <nisses.mail at home.se
> > <mailto:nisses.mail at home.se>> wrote:
> >
> > Hi Nathan!
> > Do you have this one ready so I can take a peek at it somewhere?
> > - Andreas
> >
> > Nathan Willis wrote:
> > > See, I think that's the important distinction -- the toolbox is
> from
> > > the "tool" element of the construction metaphor, not the
> > danger/safety
> > > element. Everybody at the construction site wears boots, too,
> > but the
> > > image of a boot doesn't communicate what you want.
> > >
> > > As far as the hammer itself goes, sure not everyone uses one all
> > the
> > > time, but then again I'm looking at the Edgy Applications menu
> right
> > > now and the "graphics" category is represented by a paintbrush,
> the
> > > "sound and video" category by a director's clapboard, and the
> > office
> > > category by a pen cup. Does every artist carry a paintbrush? Do
> > > *any* of the "sound* apps incorporate anything analogous to the
> > > director's clapboard? Do we all have pen cups in out offices --
> > and
> > > if so, are they what we do our office work with? It's not
> necessary
> > > that the tool used in a category icon be universally required
> > for all
> > > the tasks in that category -- and a good thing, too, since that
> > would
> > > be impossible. What it does have to do is communicate and be
> > visually
> > > recognizable. My point was that the hard hat does neither of
> those
> > > things.
> > >
> > > I personally don't think that hammers or toolboxes intrinsically
> > > relate to programming at all; we may have gotten used to seeing
> the
> > > construction site metaphor associated with programming tools,
> > but it's
> > > only because of repetition. I'd like to see some better metaphor
> > > altogether; it's a task without a physical-world equivalent, but
> who
> > > knows how much we could come up with if we actually pounded at it
> > > intentionally. But I do think that of the construction items
> we've
> > > brought up thus far, at least (claw) hammers have a distinctive
> > visual
> > > outline, and that's an improvement.
> > >
> > > Nate
> > >
> > > On 3/10/07, *Rodney Dawes* < dobey at novell.com
> > <mailto:dobey at novell.com>
> > > <mailto:dobey at novell.com <mailto:dobey at novell.com>>> wrote:
> > >
> > > Perhaps it could use some touch-ups, sure. But I think the
> > > metaphor does
> > > in fact make sense. It is a category icon, not an tool,
> > process, or
> > > product icon. All persons on a construction site, must wear
> > hard hats.
> > > They don't all have to carry or use hammers, nails,
> > screwdrivers,
> > > fishing wire, or many of the other things used in the
> > construction
> > > of a
> > > building.
> > >
> > > Perhaps a toolbox would be a somewhat better metaphor though.
> > > Given that
> > > it contains tools for building software.
> > >
> > > -- dobey
> > >
> > >
> > > On Fri, 2007-03-09 at 13:47 -0600, Nathan Willis wrote:
> > > > As long as we're talking about coding metaphors, I have to
> > give my
> > > > thumbs-down to the yellow hard hat metaphor -- it, too, is
> > entirely
> > > > indistinct at small sizes, and even at larger sizes it
> > lacks the
> > > > "distinct shape" Rodney mentioned, as well as detail and
> > > contrast. Is
> > > > it a lemon? A tennis ball? A gumdrop? And even if it is
> > > recognized
> > > > eventually as a hard hat, it doesn't communicate. Hard
> > hats are
> > > > safety gear, not tools, not process, not product. At the
> very
> > > least,
> > > > if you are going with the "construction work" metaphor, a
> > hammer is
> > > > more visually distinctive and more appropriate.
> > > >
> > > > Just wanted to get that off my chest.
> > > >
> > > > Nate
> > >
> > >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Tango-artists mailing list
> > Tango-artists at lists.freedesktop.org
> > <mailto:Tango-artists at lists.freedesktop.org>
> > http://lists.freedesktop.org/mailman/listinfo/tango-artists
> > <http://lists.freedesktop.org/mailman/listinfo/tango-artists>
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > --
> > nathan.p.willis
> > nwillis at glyphography.com <mailto:nwillis at glyphography.com>
> > aim/ym/gtalk:n8willis
> > blog.glyphography.com <http://blog.glyphography.com>
> > flickr.com/photos/willis <http://flickr.com/photos/willis>
>
>
--
nathan.p.willis
nwillis at glyphography.com
aim/ym/gtalk:n8willis
blog.glyphography.com
flickr.com/photos/willis
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://lists.freedesktop.org/archives/tango-artists/attachments/20070313/21e999a8/attachment.html
More information about the Tango-artists
mailing list