McGuire Search http://mcguiresearch.com/ John McGuire's Search Blog en Copyright 2008 Mon, 11 Feb 2008 19:50:20 +0000 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/?v=3.2ysb5-20051201 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Visual Search By Autodesk and VizSeek I am always interested in attempts to improve the Input into search.  In this case Autodesk hit it right on.
Searching for parts can be incredibly difficult unless you know exactly what it’s called or have a part number.  Autodesk’s newly updated Visual search is featureful and actually works! 

http://labs.autodesk.com/blogs/its_alive_in_the_lab/?category=85

First when going to the page you are presented with 4 methods of searching.  No text searching aloud!

 

AutoDesk Visual Search

 

GREAT lets Crank this baby up and see how she runs.
A doodle seemed like the coolest place to start so….

I freehand a drawing of an L-pipe.  (Horrible, I know. I am no Artist)

AutoDesk Visual Search Doodle

Note that there is no search button on the panel where you doodle. This was a little disconnected but They are kind enough to explain this in there text above the doodle area.

Search away!

Serach Window

 

Success!!!  There’s my L-pipe.  Although it wasn’t the first result is the L-pipe I was looking for was close to what I needed. Arguably the first result was closer in appearance to my doodle. J

 Search Results

I tried a J hook and found a wing-blot. I imagine that this would only get better as content is added.

 J-hook dooodleWingbolt

One Day I hope to walk into a Home Depot and instead of asking a sales person for a Part that I don’t know the name of I can just draw it and get back search results of every item in the store!

 

]]> http://mcguiresearch.com/blog/2008/02/visual_search_by_autodesk_and.html http://mcguiresearch.com/blog/2008/02/visual_search_by_autodesk_and.html Mon, 11 Feb 2008 19:50:20 +0000 Yes another Search Blog... Yes another Search Blog...

Q: Why?
A: I want more interaction with the Search Community.

Q: But aren't there too many out there already?
A: There is always room for another good one.

Q: Who should care about this blog anyway?
A: Anyone who cares about Information Architecture (IA), Enterprise Search, Findability, Consolidating Information Structures, Digital Asset Management, Taxonomies, Bad Designs.

Q: Who are you anyway?
A: I am John McGuire. A guy who has worked with Information Design and Enterprise Search for a few years.  

]]> http://mcguiresearch.com/blog/2008/02/yes_another_search_blog.html http://mcguiresearch.com/blog/2008/02/yes_another_search_blog.html Thu, 07 Feb 2008 19:02:41 +0000