2. Serendipity denotes the property of
making fortunate discoveries while
looking for something unrelated, or
the occurrence of such a discovery
during such a search.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serendipity
11. Autocompletion can sometimes help serendipity,
but its purpose is to guide users
towards the most common queries.
It encourages users to take the most common path,
instead of exploring alternatives.
18. 2. Categorisation
A B
http://seogadget.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/seo-sitemap-structure-keywords-hifi.gif
19. 2. Categorisation
A B
Limited awareness of
potentially interesting products
http://seogadget.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/seo-sitemap-structure-keywords-hifi.gif
22. A
related products
http://seogadget.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/seo-sitemap-structure-keywords-hifi.gif
23.
24. Typical criteria include
Most popular
Most recent
Similar typology
Editorial choice
In general these criteria point to a
restricted subset of the product range
and add some serendipity, but are limited in
scope and often lead to closed loops
44. “ [...] participants may find their own opinions constantly echoed
back to them, and in doing so reinforce a certain sense of truth
that resonates with individual belief systems.
This can create some significant challenges to critical discourse
within an online medium.
The echo-chamber effect may also impact a lack of recognition
to large demographic changes in language and culture on the
Internet if individuals only create, experience and navigate those
online spaces that reinforce their "preferred" world view.
Another emerging term used to describe this "echoing" and
homogenizing effect on the Internet within social communities is
”
"cultural tribalism" [...]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Media_echo_chamber
45. Social recommendation doesn’t encourage users
to step outside their comfort zones
and discover challenging objects
me and
what i know
46. Social recommendation doesn’t encourage users
to step outside their comfort zones
and discover challenging objects
me and
what i know
what my friends know
47. Social recommendation doesn’t encourage users
to step outside their comfort zones
and discover challenging objects
The Unknown
me and
what i know
what my friends know
63. Suggested tags HI L OP ST EFG
My selection C L
Videos
Search all videos tagged C + L
64. Suggested tags HI L OP ST EFG
My selection C L
Videos
C LG CLJ C L N C LS VC L P Q
Resulting videos tagged C + L
65. Suggested tags G J N SV PQ
My selection C L
Videos
C LG CLJ C L N C LS VC L P Q
66. Suggested tags G J N SV PQ
My selection C L
Videos
C LG CLJ C L N C LS VC L P Q
67. This systems enables a high level of serendipity
because the suggested tags shift constantly,
funneling results but remaining really open to
unexpected deviations from fixed paths.
70. Polysemy of images:
images can have multiple meanings, so people
will interpret them according to context.
If you are shown a sequence of images, your
mind starts making sense of them, putting them
in context, judging them.
Everyone will make slightly different
interpretations of what they’re seeing, based on
their past experience.
71. Images are more open to interpretation than plain text,
their meaning isn’t xed and shifts with context
72. Mobile city guides direct users to specific locations
but most fail to encourage users to venture off the
beaten track and find new spots by themselves.
One way to encourage serendipity is to let users
see the city through someone else’s eyes.
78. Prototype is being tested with users,
receiving rather positive feedback
79. Conclusion
Most common mechanisms for enabling serendipity
1. Search
2. Categorisation
3. Social recommendation
Alternatives
1. Free combination of tags and objects
2. Local search + Polysemy + Non-verbal interface
Plenty of opportunities for innovation
80. Let’s help people find the unexpected
By Random Rupert
Unicorn, in Myths & Monsters Exhibition.
