English Language & Usage Asked by rick196 on October 31, 2021
For instance, the app icon for email is usually an envelope. But of course the whole point of email is that one doesn’t use envelopes. Similarly with the phone/call app has an icon of an older type of landline phone. I suppose this is a term used in semiotics.
As far as I know, it's called skeuomorphism. It is a broad term and has many definitions.
Skeuomorphism: A skeuomorph is physical ornament or design on an object made to resemble another material or technique. The phenomenon is called skeuomorphism. This definition is broader in scope, as it can be applied to design elements that still serve the same function as they did in the previous design.
On a smaller scale, the icons of GUIs may remain skeuomorphic representations of physical objects that are not longer directly applicable to the task they represent.
Example: a drawing of a floppy disk to represent "save".
And here's the example you've given:
The envelope is the de-facto symbol for email and SMS messages. It offers a nice distinction between read and unread - they become opened and unopened envelopes. [Skeuomorphism - BBC]
Answered by Decapitated Soul on October 31, 2021
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