Skeuomorphism in design describes the rendering of digital items in terms of their real-life counterparts. For example, skeuomorphic design might render a notebook application such that it resembles a physical notebook.
These metaphors can limit our capacity for understanding the possibility of digital and non-organic tools and agents. They constrain our understanding of the nature of the digital creation based on physical limitations that may not apply to a digital setting.
An example might be understanding an online publication like a blog in terms of analog media like a newspaper or a magazine. Or, a digital file system that uses a filing cabinet as its guiding metaphor but then conditions us to think of each document belonging to one folder in a rigid, hierarchical system.
Lakoff and Johnson use the term "radial metaphors" to discuss how metaphors can be strategically applied to conceive of models to help explain complex situations; these can be empowering or limiting.
Related
- Three models of human-machine collaboration from pop culture - Skeumorphic models of robots as butlers or servants limits our thinking about how machines might serve as collaborative partners for humans rather than delegates.
- Metaphors structure our interpretation of the world - The metaphors we use to understand thing structures our thoughts about them.
- Novel metaphors create novel ways of thinking - Applying new metaphors can expand our perspective on familiar problems or situations
- Our vision of the future is always constrained by our view of the past. - The lens of the past limits our ability to see future possibilities
Citations
Lakoff, George, and Mark Johnson. Metaphors We Live By. University of Chicago Press, 2008.
Lloyd, Alexis. “R2D2 as a Model for AI Collaboration.” Medium (blog), November 21, 2020. https://alexis.medium.com/r2d2-as-a-model-for-ai-collaboration-9a2638bfbd09.
