How do you think you would interact with a computer if there were no graphical user interface, or GUI? Describe what you might have to do to create a document without a GUI. Why do you think the desktop metaphor is so successful? Do you think it works for everyone who must use a computer in every situation? Why or why not? What about tablets and smartphones? Do they use the same desktop metaphor? Think about how and where you do your work. Is there a better metaphor than the desktop? What would it look like? An operating system has one metaphor, but what about applications? If you have an application that plays music, does it use metaphors? What are they? Think about the shelf-life of metaphors. Here's an example: if you use a word processing application, chances are there is an icon to save the file. Do you know what that icon represents? What would happen if that icon changed - would it make it easier or harder to understand for your grandparents? For your classmates