Metaphors
A metaphor is something representative or symbolic of something else, especially something abstract, e.g. a black hole of depression; a garden of delight.
In HCI terms, metaphors can be very useful, usually evoking the familiar, but often add a new twist. For example, the Application Dock in a Mac's OS X operating system is a metaphor of (one of the meanings of) the concept of a "dock", i.e. the idea of an enclosure; a place where things come and go; where new things first appear, and so on.
- Choose metaphors well - good metaphors are stories, creating visible pictures in the mind so that users can instantly (easily, quickly, intuitively) grasp the finest details of the conceptual model
- Bring metaphors alive - by appealing to people's perceptions (sight, sound, touch, and kinaesthesia) as well as triggering their memories
Methodology
A methodology is most commonly thought of as a particular kind of procedure or method, or a set of procedures or methods. In fact, a methodology refers to more than a simple set of methods. It also refers to the rationale and the philosophical assumptions that underlie a particular area of study. In particular, it often sheds light on ontological (i.e. what kinds of thing exist?) and epistemological (i.e. what kinds of thing do I know?) questions.
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