How Do You Find a Metaphor?

There are several approaches to creating a metaphor. The simplest metaphor is known as the naive metaphor. It says, "Let things be themselves." So an accounting application talks about customers and accounts. The naive metaphor gives you a starting point but doesn't provide much generativity.

In some ways, the magic metaphor is the opposite. For example, "A word processor is a magic typewriter." This can give you good ideas, but it doesn't limit you enough. The place you need to understand most gets the least support: "It's magic" it could be anything.

To come up with metaphors, we typically use two processes: brainstorming and stewing. In brainstorming, you capture a bunch of ideas, which build on each other, and arrive at a workable solution. In stewing, you keep yourself immersed in the problem, and then you get a good idea late one night or in the shower.

One way to evaluate and refine your choice is to consider the implications of your metaphor and the attributes of your problem. For example, consider a system monitor. You might have a number of possible metaphors, each with different strengths and weaknesses, such as the following:

• Alarm A notification that some attribute is out of bounds

• Report Detailed information, but not very visual

• EKG Full graphical history of several variables, but requiring an expert to read

• Graphic equalizer display Instantaneous readings of several variables

Depending on the system and its goals, any of these might be a good choice.

A metaphor needn't be simplistic. You might use different metaphors for different parts of the system. You might combine metaphors to get a good solution. The goal is to find something effective for the team, not to come up with the "right" answer.