Translated from the French article Recherche visuelle : enquête sur quelques systèmes de visualisation. by Gaby David

Studying different web browsers and their different display systems, their tagging logic, their searching advantages and disadvantages leads one to consider other search engines, with other visualization systems, different than the mainstream Google platform. New ways of combining tags are currently a hot issue.

I am just trying to make a list, as broad as possible, enumerating different browsers that will help us in our daily searches.

Let’s start for example with Quintura: declared the best search engine of the year 2007 (by altsearchengines). Quintura bases its search methodology in relationships. It is a very good example of cluster tagging. A cloud of words associates tags, in order to enhance and facilitate our navigation towards other topics of interest, other themes related to the object we are searching for.

For example, if we seek the term “cellphone images”, tags such as “stock”, “users”, and many others will appear. If we set the mouse on one of those related terms, the search result changes and becomes compatible with both terms. The dynamism of our research appears in real time, just on our screens, and each mouse movement will lead to a different combination.  Each tag leads us to other tags, as a tree, quickly, like an association game; every cloud turns into another cloud tag and so forth.

There are four tabs: Web, images, video and Amazon. This engine allows for a rapid transition from one mode to another. Its use is user friendly, very pleasant, we can bookmark, record or share and send the research we do with our contacts. Sometimes in the left side of each tag there is a small icon, indicating where the link comes from, or where it leads to (CNN, Yahoo, blog, etc.). In the right side there is a cross. If you click on these crosses, that tag will not be included in the new research, shortening the following “trees”. Quintura is a visual search engine. It extracts keywords from search results and builds a word cloud. By clicking words in the cloud, you refine your query. Speciality: direct link with Amazon.

Another interesting search engine is Ujiko. With its oval outlook Ujiko looks like a game console. Depending on the quantity of research done, its applications increase. It combines research and a game! By encouraging us doing more research, increasing our levels; with each research it gives us points! This extrinsic motivation encourages us to continue searching. The console colors display also changes (in order not to be bored with our research). Specialty: sensation of playing a game.

The French web browser KartOO, allows among its applications, to see, fairly well, links between sites and blogs. Specialty: several interface languages options and the possibility as in a blog to change the desk image.

In its second version: kartoovisu we see, displayed on the right side of the site, a kind of green fluorescent word map that is quite attractive.

Even though it is different, Exalead reminds us immediately of Google. The difference is the small screen shots that appear next to each link. But this is very useful for (us) “visual learners”! Here you can search (as usual) links, images and videos but also for documents on your PC. Specialty: on the right side, there is a frame that helps, by proposing you to “narrow your search.”

Another browser is KoolTorch: a search engine that appears as sets. A visual set theory? Not very attractive in its outlook, it does so by colors, as “families”, each set is a different subject sought. Then there are sub-categories. Specialty: it is the only engine that has a direct link to e-bay.

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