Facets of a Metaproject: a case in human interface design research Human Factors and Interface Design Ransom Byers April 25, 2005

Image Searching Keyword Based –Most common search engines (Google, etc.) –Good for very specific searches, lousy for browsing Content Based –Most image retrieval research projects –Analyze images to extract low-level visual data (color, contrast, texture, etc.) to search over Metadata Based –Uses descriptions, labels, and other associated data to guide search –Flecmenco: FLexible information Access using MEtadata in Novel COmbinations

Design Process Low-Fidelity Prototyping Informal Usability Testing Redesign Development of Base Case Usability Study Development Usability Study Ethnographic Study

FlamencoFlamenco System Goals –Seamlessly integrate searching and browsing –Avoid empty search results and feelings of being lost –Do not overwhelm the user Hierarchical Faceted Metadata –Facets are orthogonal sets of characteristics (for example media, location, time period, etc.) –A facet can be flat or hierarchical –Each facet has a distinct hue Three stages –Opening: present a broad overview and familiarize user with the system –Middle Game: allow the user to evaluate and manipulate the result set –Endgame: display a single selected item Implemented using Python, MySQL, and WebWare

Usability Study 32 art history students Searching across a database of 35,000 fine arts images Given 4 tasks to accomplish on both the Flamenco System and the Base System Measured task times, success rates, and user evaluations

Tasks 3 minutes, unstructured searching for images of interest minutes, gathering materials for a history essay with 4 subtasks –Find all of the woodcuts created in the United States –Choose the decade which seems to have the most –Select and artist from this period and display all of his or her woodcuts –Choose one of the subjects and find another woodcut artist that treats it differently 10 minutes, compare related images in order to write an essay 5 minutes, unstructured searching for images of interest

Study Results Success at finding all of the woodcuts created in the United States BaselineSystem21% Flamenco System77%

Yee, Ka-Ping, et al. Faceted Metadata for Image Search and Browsing, Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems FIN