Indexing and interaction strategies in image databases
The research study called “iBrowsing” examined different types of interaction relating to the entering and receiving of images in database systems. The requirements were derived from the environment in the Design department at ZHdK which is both creative and scientific. The process of entering images in a database is, above all, to do with the challenge of assigning keywords and verbal contextualization. Active use of the images is often based on an undifferentiated process of searching, filtering and browsing. During the six-month study, the researchers analysed these forms of interaction and the interplay between them. This resulted in a series of interaction models that are designed with the environment of an arts university in mind. They were tested in workshops with students and by the development team for the Media Archive.
The “iBrowsing” research study demonstrated the role of metadata in a database system intended for interacting with media. Many of the findings from the study fed into the development of the Madek software.