Use metaphors only to improve understanding.
Do not introduce metaphors solely for aesthetic purposes that do not clarify system behavior.
Contents 1. Human Cognition & Behavior 5. Metaphors
How abstract systems become understandable.
First, ask yourself
“Does this metaphor help users understand your system without introducing false assumptions?”
Mission statement
Ensure users grasp new concepts by mapping them to familiar ones.
Key heuristics Metaphors
- Metaphors must only exist to improve understanding.
- Metaphors must enable correct reasoning about system behavior.
- Metaphors must not introduce false rules or expectations.
- Structural clarity must take precedence over literal resemblance.
- Metaphorical framing must match actual system outcomes.
- The limits of a metaphor must be perceptible through behavior.
- Metaphors must not create unwarranted confidence.
- Symbolic metaphors must be supported by consistent structural cues.
- Metaphors must evolve or be removed when they obstruct clarity or growth.
Executive brief
Metaphors must clarify the system, or they must not be used at all.
Core questions Metaphors
“Does this metaphor help users understand the system accurately?”
“Does it clarify how the system works, or mislead users?”
Focus areas
Cognition-aware
“What does this metaphor teach about how the system works?”
“Does it improve or confuse the user’s mental model?”
Constraint-aware
“Where does the metaphor break down?”
“What false expectations might it create?”
Communication-aware
“Is the metaphor clear and unambiguous to users?”
“Does it highlight important concepts without misleading?”
AI-aware
“Does this metaphor overstate intelligence, agency, or understanding?”
“Is AI explaining behavior, or making the system seem human?”
UX directives Metaphors
Ensure metaphors support accurate reasoning.
Allow users to infer correct behavior from metaphors, not merely recognize them, and avoid metaphors that introduce false constraints or misleading expectations.
Merged into 15/02—Ensure metaphors support accurate reasoning.
Prioritize functional clarity over literal realism.
Choose metaphors that reveal structure and causality.
Align metaphors with actual system consequences.
Do not allow metaphorical framing to suggest outcomes the system cannot produce.
Make the limits of metaphors clear through behavior.
Ensure users are not surprised when the system diverges from metaphorical expectations.
Remove metaphors that create false confidence.
Avoid metaphorical framing that increases misunderstanding or overconfidence.
Support abstract metaphors with strong structural cues.
Reinforce abstract framing so users can reliably anticipate system behavior.
Evolve or abandon metaphors that constrain growth.
Do not preserve metaphors that obstruct system understanding or capability.
Executive summary
- Metaphors are cognitive scaffolds for reasoning, not decorative themes.
- They exist to improve understanding by revealing structure and causality.
- Every metaphor shapes how users reason about the system.
- The system must ensure metaphors support accurate inference about real consequences.
- Abstract metaphors require strong structural support to maintain clarity.
- Metaphors succeed when users reason correctly about the system without being constrained or deceived by the analogy.
Success indicators
- Metaphors help users understand how the system works.
- The metaphor allows users to predict what actions will do.
- The metaphor does not create misleading expectations.
- The system behaves consistently with the metaphor it uses.
- Users can understand the system even when the metaphor reaches its limits.
One-line summary
Before users can understand a new system, they must be able to relate it to something they already know.