The work is devoted to a problem of search of metaphors for interactive systems and systems based on Virtual Reality (VR) environments. The analysis of magic fairy tales as a source of metaphors for interface and virtual reality is offered. Some results of design process based on "magic" metaphors are considered. Categories and Subject Descriptors K.m MISCELLANEOUS General Terms Human Factors Computer metaphor, interface This work is devoted to a problem of search of metaphors for interactive systems and systems based on Virtual Reality (VR) environments. Metaphors play a significant role while designing, and also help users to master interface opportunities with ease. Sometimes the success or failure of system depends on successful choice of metaphors. However researchers have started to complain of rarity of interface metaphors already in early 90-s' years when development of visual interactive systems were anywise a novelty. (See [1].) In our opinion one may find a lot of sources of metaphors, but it is necessary to search these sources by some criteria. We suggest to consider magic fairy tales and popular fantasy novels (using a set of characters, concepts and situations similar to the magic fairy tales) as one of sources of computer metaphors. Thus, we are interested with "magic" ideas i.e. ideas of miraculous actions, positions, things and events that are impossible in reality. These ideas are useful to create interface and visualization metaphors and to develop new techniques for dealing in virtual environments. Note that VR may demand wide diversity of magic metaphors, because in fact it is a real ("not magic") magic. Even superficial analysis shows that at times magic in fairy tales extends possibilities and features of realistic objects and characters and at other times fairy tales describe occurrences being in marked contrast to everyday routine. Both cases are interesting in connection with metaphors searching. Moreover VR also at times augments user's means, and at other times transfers users to new worlds. Magic ideas described in fantasy novels or in literary processed folklore fairy tales are the most worked and consequently the most useful for our purposes. Interface metaphor is considered as the basic idea of likening between interactive objects and model objects of the application domain. Its role is to promote the best understanding of semantics of interaction, and also to determine the visual representation of dialog objects and a set of user manipulations with them. A metaphor, considered as a basis of the sign system, underlies in a basis of a dialog language in its turn. User formulates the problem with the help of this language and achieves its solving from the computer. The metaphor helps to describe abstraction, structures understanding of new applied area, but also assigns dialog [visual] language objects. We understand interface metaphors in broadened sense, not subdividing them onto metaphors, analogies, idioms or metonymies. These divisions are important for the metaphor theory, but are not necessary for our consideration. Interface metaphors may be considered as a special case of scientific metaphor used for generation of new or additional senses to understand new facts and phenomena.  The problems of metaphor design, as well as formalizations of their search and/or generations were repeatedly considered in the literature. The idea of automated creation of visual metaphors and corresponding visualization systems was proposed. Interest to "magic" in connection with HCI and interface metaphors was showed in early 90-s' years. The significant attention has been given to "Magic Features" conception. This conception in the context of HCI was introduced for the first time by A. Kay. [4]. In the literature (also by A. Kay) some theoretical approaches to problems of HCI magic were considered and some examples were given (see [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] . "Magic Features" are considered as important for HCI. The authors of the works [6] [7] [8] emphasized especially that metaphors doesn't preclude magic. Obviously, if to consider metaphors not only as usage everyday things and everyday entities then magic may be a part of interface metaphors. The word "magic" is very popular as a part of metaphoric names for interface techniques -for example "magic lens", "magic mirror", "magic lancet", etc. In [10] a number of specific examples from stage magic is presented and application of its principles and techniques in human interface design is discussed. The article [11] is devoted to sources of metaphor for tangible user interfaces. Authors suppose magic and paranormal phenomena could be a fruitful place to look for new metaphors for tangible user interfaces. Also Voodoo magic is considered as an interesting idea for interfaces with virtual objects. In [12] Voodoo dolls technique is used as a two-handed interaction technique for manipulating objects at a distance in immersive virtual environments.
Averbukh REF extended the idea of magic metaphors in theory, and proposed considering magic fairy tales as source of inspiration for interface metaphors.
Magic Fairy Tales as Source for Interface Metaphors
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Computer Science