We are facing exploding digital image repository in this age of bits, either in our own computer or from online resources. The problem is how to manage these images so that user can find, browse and explore them more efficiently and effectively. It can be an issue of HCI, as well as Information Visualization.
Comparing of two examples of image browsers: PhotoMesa vs. Time Quilt
PhotoMesa can be a negative example. It uses Treemap-like layout (because they are from the same research lab!) to put lots of small thumbnails all in the window. I doubt whether user could get useful information from thumbnails in this size. The only chance for user to remind a picture's content might be from the pop-out larger thumbnail when his mouse passes a certain image, which is inefficient.
Time Quilt is another attempt which arranges images by chronological order. The technique most interests me in this demo is that Time Quilt uses a representative image as the cover of a group/folder of images. When user clicks on that representative image, pictures in this certain folder will show up. It is like a zoom-in effect. However, how to choose the representative image, as well, how to arrange large set of thumbnails, it still an open question.
Comparing of two examples of image browsers: PhotoMesa vs. Time Quilt
PhotoMesa can be a negative example. It uses Treemap-like layout (because they are from the same research lab!) to put lots of small thumbnails all in the window. I doubt whether user could get useful information from thumbnails in this size. The only chance for user to remind a picture's content might be from the pop-out larger thumbnail when his mouse passes a certain image, which is inefficient.
Time Quilt is another attempt which arranges images by chronological order. The technique most interests me in this demo is that Time Quilt uses a representative image as the cover of a group/folder of images. When user clicks on that representative image, pictures in this certain folder will show up. It is like a zoom-in effect. However, how to choose the representative image, as well, how to arrange large set of thumbnails, it still an open question.
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