RealThings

{{Short description|Early skeuomorphic design for digital interfaces, developed by IBM}}

{{notability|software|date=October 2018}}

Image:RealPhone.gif

IBM RealThings is a software interface design methodology proposed by IBM in 1998. Instead of using traditional computer-based elements, RealThings proposes that images of physical real-life objects are used instead. This was aimed to be more "natural and intuitive, allowing users to focus more on their tasks and less on computer artefacts".{{cite conference|last=Mullay|title=IBM RealThings|date=April 1998|book-title=CHI 98 conference summary on Human factors in computing systems|publisher=ACM Press|doi=10.1145/286498.286505|isbn=1-58113-028-7|pages=13–14 }}

As a demonstration IBM created RealPhone, RealCD and RealBook.

There were some indications that the examples chosen did not faithfully represent things in real life.