Analogous Spaces: An Introduction to Spatial Metaphors for the Organization of Knowledge

Spatial Metaphors for the Organization of Information Spatial metaphors abound in the language we use to speak about the organization of information. Well-established notions such as “architecture of databases,” “knowledge architect,” or “information design” convey their meaning by drawing analogies between the organization of information and the organization of space. The notion “architecture of databases,” for example, relies on the idea that a database provides us, like a building, multiple spaces where we can position different objects that we can exploit for different functions. Just as a building is a fixed construction, the interior of which can be furnished and refurbished time and again, we can add or remove objects of knowledge or data in the categories of a database. A “knowledge architect” is another example. Through metaphor, this notion defines the job of someone who, like an architect, combines technical and artistic skills and who is able to coordinate the overall construction process; not for the purpose of constructing a building but for constructing tools to manage flows of knowledge or relevant information that is meant to remain in place (Tonfoni, 1998). “Information design” is a third example. It underscores metaphorically the idea that the development of an information system involves, as is the case in design, a complex process of planning before actual construction can occur. Furthermore, one applies the word “design” to information systems to imply that they are modeled in a smart way, to minimize the user’s efforts and to do so in respect to his or her personal needs. In the field of architectural and urban design, on the other hand, a growing number of metaphors have been borrowed from information and system theory. Leading architects have absorbed into their discourse concepts such as cybernetics, chaos theory, complexity, and self-orga-