The semiotic triangle is known to most linguists, describing the relation between an object - items as they are, the realisation or perception of the object by humans, and the sign that is used for denoting the perceived object. The terminologist calls the `sign' a term and the realisation of an object is called concept.
Adaptation of the semiotic triangle
Essential for the terminologists' point of view is the concept. Objects are classified according to their concepts and their relations connecting each other. This is a fundamental difference between lexicography, which is collecting signs and structuring them with reference to lexicographic standards (such as alphabetical sorting) and terminography, which is collecting concepts and sorting them by their relation.
The triangle acts like a rubberband, it can be stretched and vertices' relationships and mapping may vary - e.g. meanings of concepts may shift, signs are adopted and objects evolve. However recognition of these three aspects is a prerequisite of meaningful (linguistic) communication. I have a feeling that using familiar signs, new concepts can be introduced and conversely using familiar concepts new sign systems can evolve as long as the objects - the information system underneath appears consistent and is uniformly understood.
We as builders of Kyperia share (most of) the concepts (ontologies) and objects (data). We use situation specific signs (representamen, originally) to communicate about its objects and in creating them. To successfully interact with user/viewers we use (again hopefully) same or similar ontologies and signs. In user interaction the objects referred to are a combination of software functions and user's vision of ''the man behind the curtain''.