Comments on Using Adoption Metaphors to Increase Customer Acceptance

srinivas ramshetty — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 14:53:10 GMT

This is really good post..My concern here, however, is not so much in these fascinating twists and turns of jargon as in the metaphors used with intent to communicate to people who can’t be expected to know the details..just bothered about common man who doesnot know about computers & its background…!!

Jen Jen — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 14:53:08 GMT

Interesting article. I read something somewhat similar, a rant about Google going into the dictionary as a verb: http://www.redinked.com/2006/08/09/to-google-or-not-to-go…
I personally don’t have a problem with it being in the dictionary, but it’s interesting nonetheless.

Scott Bower — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 14:53:05 GMT

Just going to randomly add some comments. Apologies!

Another intersting footnote is Dan Saffer’s thesis project on this topic, “The Role of Metaphor in Interaction Design”.. here is a link to a review which has direct links to his work.
http://www.fullcirc.com/weblog/2005/05/dan-saffers-thesis…

I disagree that we need a common language as pointed out by Andres. It rings of the shortcomings of globalization. Technology lets us tailor more personalized experiences for users and even gives them the ability to do their own MODs. Perhaps that is why simplistic social networking tools are so successful? Generative semantics hit a dead end with Deep Structure (singular meaning), although, new strategies in art, programing, and research are diverging from it in novel ways. The thing I find interesting about generative semantics is it’s similarity to current IA practices. I recently saw a debate between interaction designers on the use of “thumbs up” and “thumbs down” icons in a software app. Somebody somewhere will be deeply offended by that. I give that 2 thumbs down. Not to mention the horror stories of agencies not doing ethnographic research in campaigns in China and alientating millions of people.

Metaphor based on historical models has of course always been a successful part of Industrial Design, as pointed out with horseless carriages. I was in a flea market the other day and saw an IBM computer from over 20 years ago that was built into a wood grained desk. It is a funny thing now. Did we call them “desk computers” only to have it become “desktop computer”? Not to mention the term “blog”... much more agreeable then “personal online content managment system”. Even the word “computer” has changed. Those used to be real people sitting at desks.

Great article, looking forward to the next one.

Angela Tan — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 14:53:04 GMT

Interesting article! It sets the reader to think about the evolution of language. Often, we find it difficult to read old articles (e.g. articles in 1980s, etc). This is not because we are not as bright, but our vocabulary has evolved. The transient use of metaphors has set cultural change across time.
There’s also cultural difference across geographical location. I am from Singapore and we are not too familiar with “TiVo”. Fortunately, your metaphor “video recorder” was able to cast concepts on how “TiVo” works. This technology probably takes a different name here.
This is an interesting read and I look forward to your coming article.

Madonnalisa G. Chan — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 14:53:02 GMT

What’s really interesting about this topic is not only are metaphors discarded, they somehow resurface many generations later. I’m looking forward to part 2. I’d like to get my hands on applying the methods…not only on the web world but in other settings/environments.

Keith DeWeese — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 14:53:01 GMT

Looks like someone has been reading her George Lakoff. Thanks for this info, Sarah.

Kevin P. — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 14:53:00 GMT

Good article. I find it funny how many people are using new “tech” metaphors to enhance old ideas (the “downloading” example was perfect.) I find myself constantly doing the opposite however, explaining technology concepts in metaphors people already understand. My personal favorite, “Building a website is a lot like building a house.”

Jeff Parks — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 14:52:59 GMT

Brilliant article Sarah!

I can recall telling a room of Vice-President’s that by not taking the time to organize the web content that hadn’t been consistently managed in nearly 10 years was like their child coming home in grade 6 and refusing to clean up their room for that same period of time.

Nearly ten years later your child calls you up from University and asks for their report card from grade 10. They tell you it’s somewhere under their desk. When you open the door to their room a wall of “content” falls to their feet. Wading through everything it takes you a week to find the report card.

After several requests, you as parents, finally get the courage and open the door one more time. It takes you several weeks, but eventually you get everything cleaned up and organized. Now when your child wants anything, you can quickly and easily find what you need.

Taking the time to organize all of the information on the web will enable you to clean up the room where all of your clients are seeking critical information from you.

If they don’t understand technology, find something they can relate too and see the value in. As parents, every single one of these executives instantly understood the chaos based on their own experience of having children who never clean up their room!

Cheers!
Jeff

Jonathan Baker-Bates — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 14:52:59 GMT

Actually, I’m pretty sure the etymology of the phrase “down loads” pre-dates modern computing considerably. My grandfather was using it in pre-war Britain along with “up loads” to describe different types of loading activity for ships. It was probably only expanded to be a verb later on.

But no matter, it’s a nice article. Part 2 is going to be much anticipated. What I’m perhaps most curious about is how one decides whether a metaphor is in fact the best way to aid understanding, because it could just as easily end up as a millstone. An obvious example would be if Tivo is “just a VCR” to some people, but a competitor is seen as “a device that lets you manipulate live TV.” Knowing when to kill off the meme is just as important as creating it, but in some cases you may not have that control.

Gilbert Guerrero — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 14:52:59 GMT

I’m struck by the idea that a metaphor can be discarded after it’s proven its usefulness, and then the previously foreign product or idea may be used down the line as a metaphor itself… and so on. In a sense, we can’t hold onto our metaphors too tightly and must welcome new ones.

I also like the thought that metaphors should be employed up to their usefulness. Certain aspects apply while others should be left behind to pave the way for formerly impossible features.

Great article. Looking forward to part 2!

Fred Beecher — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 14:52:59 GMT

Sarah:
Thanks for the brain-food! When we create a new site or application for a limited, specific audience, my company puts together an adoption plan to help the client roll out the new site to their users. I had never thought of consciously creating a metaphor to aid adoption like this, but I will quite likely do that in the future, though!

Sholom Sandalow — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 14:52:58 GMT

Interesting post on an interesting topic. The way I see it, everything is metaphor. The words people use to describe concepts evolve and adapt to a changing environment.

Andres Zapata — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 14:52:58 GMT

I agree with Sarah, metaphors are a power tool. Metaphors are symbols. A symbol is the understanding that someone has about a specific social artifact. For example, a red octagon at an intersection means “stop”, an arrow pointing to the right at the upper right hand corner of a web page next to a form filed means “execute this search criteria”, someone winking at you in an casual conversation means “don’t take this too seriously”, etc.

My point is that symbols are socially constructed – I don’t think Sarah would disagree with me, but it is a point that needs attention. Using metaphors or symbols can be very tricky because not everyone is going to understand them, especially in a global context. As globalization continues to cannibalize our worldview, we need to start thinking about developing or digressing to a more common social vocabulary. A vocabulary that is concise, generic and meaningful. If our goal is to communicate successfully, then it is important for us to leverage communicational shortcuts in common language not in highly specialized and potentially alienating metaphors.

Using metaphors and symbols is powerful. No debate there. It allows people to feel like they belong to a larger group of people that “gets” the meaning. And they do save time and rhetoric. But they also alienate certain cultures and subcultures.

It always goes back to your target audience, I guess. If you think they will “get” it, then use it.

So, the question is “what is the common language?” Certain metaphors are generally universal that we can adapt, such as knobs, buttons and switches. What are other metaphors in our common social vocabulary that we can use, borrow and change?

All in all, good thinking piece. And I look forward Part 2 of this article.

jane motz hayes — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 14:52:58 GMT

I am sometime amused when these metaphors make it into the Webster or Oxford (i.e. googling, downloadble, accessing) and the way that hardware / software metaphor influences our non-technological English parlance. I’m looking forward to part 2 of this article.

Alok Jain — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 14:52:58 GMT

Good Article