The Use of Metaphors in Information Systems :: Technology Computer Science

Metaphors: Here, There, and Everywhere Designing for the Average Joe A metaphor can be defined as â€Å"a figure of speech in which a word or phrase that ordinarily designates one thing is used to designate another, thus making an implicit comparison† (dictionary.com). We use metaphors in our everyday language more than most people realize. But metaphors are also vital in the field of Information Systems, especially in the design of user interfaces. To the â€Å"Average Joes† of the world, or those people who have difficulty understanding the complicated concepts of digital storage, information transmission, and processing, metaphors provide them with relevant concepts to which they can easily relate. Therefore, metaphors allow a significantly larger amount of the worldly population to use many of the common technologies that we take for granted today. Metaphors â€Å"Right Under Our Nose† Every person in that worldly population can relate to the use of metaphors in everyday speech, no matter what their language. It is not uncommon for someone to encounter metaphors multiple times in one day, though many times they go unnoticed even if they are â€Å"right under our nose.† These metaphorical phrases are not meant to be taken literally. For example, when someone tells you to â€Å"bite the bullet,† they are not requesting that you actually put a bullet in between your teeth. In fact, they are asking you to bravely face up to something unpleasant just as many soldiers were asked to clench a bullet in between their teeth (in lieu of anesthetics) to transfer the pain of the amputation or surgery (something very unpleasant indeed) that they were about to undergo (â€Å"Expressions and Sayings†). You may also hear someone refer to a person as â€Å"blowing their own trumpet.† Again, this is not to mean that they are playing a brass instrument, but that they are boasting about themselves, as if they were providing their own fanfare for their arrival (â€Å"Expressions and Sayings†). If anyone were to claim that such phrases were to be taken literally, they would be â€Å"pulling your leg.† In other words, they would be teasing you and not telling the truth. This particular metaphorical phrase originates in Scotland, where someone may have â€Å"withdrawn the legs† from under someone in order to put the person at a disadvantage, perhaps to rob him (â€Å"Expressions and Sayings†). The saying is used in a much lighter sense today, but still remains a very common metaphor.

John Glover, Russel Drysdale, Lauren Berkowitz & Barbara Reid

Throughout history the unique and changeable Australian landscape has inspired a diverse array of artistic responses. Impressios of its power and beauty, expressions of individuals' responses, symbolic religious orientation, the range of landscape art works extends onwards. A great example of the vast variations of styles can be seen in the artworks of Glover, Drysdale, Berkowitz and Reid. John Glover Constitution Hill at sunset Van Dieman's Land, from near Mrs Ranson's Public House, June 29th 1840. Oil on canvas, 76. 8 ? 114. 9 cm. H31203. La Trobe Picture Collection. John Glover, artist. Birth: 18 February 1767, Houghton-on-the-Hill, Leicestershire, England Death: 9 December 1849, Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania), Australia. â€Å"He accepts the emptiness that dominates the Australian bush, and this was a huge change from Lorrain,† Hansen says. â€Å"He was the first great Australian painter of emptiness, a theme that obsesses painters to this day. † (www. theage. com. au/articles. ) John Glover was an early colonialist painter and was one of the pioneers of an Australian landscape painting. He was an acclaimed landscape painter in England and France, however he was never seen as an artist who ‘pushed the boundaries'. This changed when he moved to Tasmania in 1831, age 64. He saw the Australia landscape with new eyes and was keen to become the next ‘English Claude'. Thus many have dubbed him ‘The father of Australian landscape painting’. The impressionistic painting â€Å"Constitutional Hill at sunset† is perhaps one of Glover most renowned. While he was initially criticised for not paying close enough attention to the ‘local characteristics', he did find an individuality in his work through the landscape and atmosphere of Tasmania. His depiction of the Tasmanian light is bright and clear and his gum trees are very convincing, with their stalky form and sparse and scraggly foliage. However the strong influence of romantic artists Claude Lorraine and Gaspard Poussin lingers in his work. Hence Glover’s work has a very European flavour. It is also very picturesque and has an air of a peaceful Utopian land. This romantic, pictorial and esthetically pleasing style of painting has striking differences to the artistic techniques used by Russell Drysdale, Lauren Berkowitz and Barbara Reid Napangarti. Russell Drysdale Red landscape (1945) Vaucluse, Sydney, oil on composition board, 51. 9 x 67. 0 cm, inscribed in black paint: Russell Drysdale Mr and Mrs Rupert Murdoch Birth: 1912, Bognor Regis, England Dearth: 1981, S ydney, Australia Russel Drysdale moved from England to Australia when he was only eleven years old. Throughout his lifetime he travelled extensively however his artistic focus remained on outback rural Australia. Because he spent the majority of his life in Australia his paintings show minimal European influence. This in itself creates a great contrast between Glover and Drysdale. Another significant difference is that Glovers paintings are impressionistic while Drysdale's artworks are expressionistic. This expressionist style broke away from the tradition Australian landscape art practices present in his era. Unlike Glover, Drysdale preferred to work form from sketches, photographs and his memory when composing. When Drysdale worked on his paintings he worked hard, however it would quite often be a long and agonising experience. He was the first artist to investigate the desert and rural outback-Australian life for a prolonged period of time. This intensive exploration gave rise to the central themes of many of his artworks. Some of these themes included the issue of alienation of indigenous people, isolation of rural life, multiculturalism and national identity. The ‘Red landscape’ is a perfect example of these themes. It shows the landscape surrounding Mount Olga in the Northern Territory. The dead twisted tree trunks, and extremely vivid colours express a strong mood of isolation and desertion. Although the artwork is not as realistically precise as Glovers ‘Constitutional Hill at sunset’, it manages to express the true essences of the Australia desert. There is a house and washing blowing in the wind but there is no presence of human being, or anything living for that matter. This gives a bleak, depressing feeling. Lauren Berkowitz Strata, 1999, sand and gravel, 14 x 7m Mc Clelland Gallery, Victoria Photo: John Gollings Birth: 1965, Melbourne – Lauren Berkowitz is a contemporary installation artist. Installation art can be described as a three-dimensional painting, sculpture, poem, and prose work, which is usually transient and site-specific. This very modern art practise makes Berkowitz’s expression of Australian landscape is completely different to the previous two artists, Glover and Drysdale. Her work is made with an almost obsessive attention to detail after painstaking research and, ultimately, total dedication to the moment of making. Similarly both Glover and Drysdale were very focused and particular about their artworks. Unlike Glover and Drysdale, Berkowitz does not use paint at all, nor does she depict the landscape realistically. Instead she collects materials and items from the specific environment and creates a symbolic sculpture. Often they evoke complex thoughts, longings, and moods and have multiple meanings. Her works usually revolve around the themes of land degradation, environmental disasters and the human impact on the land. We can see these themes displayed in the artwork ‘Strata’, which gives a give a compelling moral message of our obligation and responsibility to the earth and its sustainability. One can also draw many parallels between this artwork and Aboriginal artwork. For example like indigenous art Strata is based around symbolism. Also the earthy colours depicted are very similar to that of indigenous desert artworks and, like traditional Australia tribal artists, Berkowitz is not interested in constructing lasting monuments but rather temporary works that can be returned to the landscape. Although it is not as extreme in Drysdale’s work, one can also draw parallels between his use symbolism and Berkowitz. WOMAN'S HEALING CEREMONY Medium: Acrylic on Belgian linen. Image Size: 120 x 75 cm- illustrated Australian Encyclopedia Aboriginal Artists, page 256, Barbara Reid Napangarti (B. 1962-) Barbara Reid Napangarti Barabara Reid Napangarhi was born in Tjukurla, in Western Australia. She belongs to the Pintupi tribe and is the daughter of the world-renowned artist Nigura Napurrula. Ried paints important cultural stories of women's dreaming associated with her region. The paintings explore the unique desert country of her homeland. Although Drysdale focused on a similar landscape they both portrayed the barren area in two very different ways. This is because Reid has a completely different art practice to Drysdale and Glover. However she does share some similarities with Berkowitz. For example they both use symbols, lines and patterns to show the Australian landscape. The painting titled â€Å"Woman's Healing ceremony† depicts the ceremonial site of the healing ceremony in her homeland Tjukurla. Like all her paintings it carries a deep spiritual meaning. This is what differentiates her work form the three earlier artists. Glover simply gives an impression of the beautiful landscape around him, Drysdale gives a more expressionistic depiction of the Australian landscape and Berkowitz gives a symbolic personal message about the Australian landscape. Reid however includes the landscape into her dreamtime stories through symbolism that is common to her people.

Case Studies - 1745 Words

w. wi l ey .c om/ c o l le ge / aak CASE 5-1 Barkley Foods Joyce Stevenson, the manager of marketing research for Barkley Foods, had just left an emergency meeting with the ï ¬ rm’s president. An opportunity to buy an established line of gourmet (high-quality/high-priced) frozen dinners had arisen. Because there were other interested buyers, a decision had to be made within three or four weeks. This decision depended on judgments about the future prospects of the gourmet frozen dinner market and whether Barkley could achieve a competitive advantage. The marketing research group was asked to provide as much useful information as possible within a 10-day period. Although uncomfortable with the time pressure involved, Joyce was†¦show more content†¦Its largest product areas were canned tomato products, frozen orange juice, cake mixes, and yogurt. Barkley was known to have strengths in operations (product preparation), distribution (obtaining distribution and managing the shelves), and advertising. Their brands typically held a solid second-place position in the supermarket. There was no effort at umbrella brand identiï ¬ cation, so each product area was carried by its own brand. Joyce Stevenson had previously been in strategic planning, and reviewed the type of information and analysis that would be required to support a strategic decision like this one. She wrote down the following four sets of questions to guide the thinking of the research group: 1. Market analysis ââ€"   What are the size, current growth rate, and projected growth rate of the industry and its relevant subsets (such as ethnic dinners) for the next ï ¬ ve and ten years? ââ€"   What are the important industry trends? ââ€"   What are the emerging production technologies? â â€"   What are the distribution trends? ââ€"   What are current and future success factors (a competitive skill or asset needed to compete successfully)? 2. Environmental analysis ââ€"   What demographic, cultural, economic, or governmental trends or events could create strategic threats or opportunities? ââ€"   What major environmental scenarios (plausible stories about the future) can be conceived? 3. 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