Hello everyone,

as we're constantly trying to improve image search experience, we have developed a new image search demo combining visual and keyword search.  I'd like to hear your opinion on the new way to search for images. (This demo uses 22 million images from fotolia, but could naturally be used with other images)

http://fusion.pixolution.de/

Search for something vague like "bird" and then move your mouse over a particular image to start a search for similar images. You can choose if you want to focus more on keywords or on visual similarity. 

Please let us know your feedback how to improve UX

thx
Kai (from pixolution)

Interesting - I had fun dong a few searches.

Couple of thoughts.

It wasn't immediately clear where to type - the huge blinking vertical insert point did eventually get my attention, but I think having the background of the search box a slightly lighter gray would have given me a clue visually that I'd have "got" faster.

I like it that you keep the current "seed" image up at the top left, but I would like to be able to see a rack of past seeds for the current search term - in case I didn't like my current branch and wanted to go back a bit. Currently the image is just visual and I'd like it to be a link to  prior search.

Even having read Sean's comment about the slider in Find similar, I didn't understand what was going on. I think that dropping the percentages and having an arrow with Keywords and Visual on either side (along with the color change which is a good visual clue).

Several times I clicked on the image I liked and it did nothing - how about making that default to a find similar with a 50/50 keyword/visual split?

I'd like to say "none of these" - perhaps a box with an X in it on the thumbnail? - for images that aren't at all what I want. I did some searches where the first few screens weren't at all what I wanted (I did one for beach and the first screen is full of people on beaches and I was thinking of a scene with no people) and I wanted to get more to choose from without the clutter of stuff that was of no interest.

I'd rather see button over the image for show details or buy now or whatever than clutter up the search refinement popup with the huge Show Details bar.

Interesting - I had fun dong a few searches.

Couple of thoughts.

I like it that you keep the current "seed" image up at the top left, but I would like to be able to see a rack of past seeds for the current search term - in case I didn't like my current branch and wanted to go back a bit. Currently the image is just visual and I'd like it to be a link to  prior search.

Even having read Sean's comment about the slider in Find similar, I didn't understand what was going on. I think that dropping the percentages and having an arrow with Keywords and Visual on either side (along with the color change which is a good visual clue).

Several times I clicked on the image I liked and it did nothing - how about making that default to a find similar with a 50/50 keyword/visual split?

We have implemented some of your proposals. Have a look at
http://fusion.pixolution.de/

For a fee, yes, but for the current size of the Symbiostock network it would be pretty expensive

http://www.pixolution.de/index.php?id=19

@pixo. I like what you've done with it a lot. My only comment about the implementation of the active breadcrumb trail at the top is that it would be nice to keep your searches even after you click back to an earlier selection in case you wanted to just see if there might have been something better in an earlier screen but decide to keep going with where you were.

So what I mean is that if I have 6 small images at the top left after refining a search for tropical beach and I decide to click on #2 as I think I went off track a bit in my results, my searches 3, 4, 5, & 6 are removed and I can't get back to them. I realize I can make all the selections again (if I remember the slider settings for keyword/visual). I'd like them to stay until I type a new search term

I'd still like to have a "get rid of things like this" option for removing images from a set. In my tropical beach search, for example, there were a couple of images that were just shells (no beach) and I didn't want any of those but the rest of the mix looked pretty reasonable. I liked the mixture of some with people and some without, but wanted to remove closeups on specific objects. If I click on a picture with people I'll lose the images with no people and vice versa. I would just like to weed out the things I don't like.

Great job.