Analyzing How Metaphorical Design Enhances the Construction of Meaning Across the Four Orders of Design

Abstract

Metaphor design originated from the fields of linguistics and cognition. The existing metaphor classification method fails to consider the combination of design elements from a holistic perspective and cannot be effectively applied to the context of design. This paper combines metaphor design with the four orders of design to establish a new paradigm of metaphor design structure and redefine the scope of each level of metaphor design. According to the four orders of design and the triple design theory of emotional design, metaphor design is divided into four quadrants: symbolic metaphor design, event metaphor design, behavioral metaphor design, and conceptual metaphor design, and the components of each quadrant are briefly described. Finally, TikTok is selected as a case study to analyze how metaphor design accurately conveys brand concepts and completes the emotional cycle with the audience. The research results prove the importance of considering the weight and coherence between multiple metaphors in the design process. This study adopts a combination of literature review and empirical analysis to explore how metaphor design constructs a reflective level in emotional design, thereby improving user experience and design quality, and providing more targeted guidance and iterative methods for design theory and design classification.