User:Buzzo/final project proposal

Project Proposal 24th November 2017

Project title.

Book Hunter : A gameable interface for literary research with search engines.

Keywords / Themes

• Big Data
• Search Engines
• Filter Bubble
• Linked Data
• Incremental Gaming
• Progressive Disclosure
• Slow Search
• Serendipitous Search
• Semantic Web
• Interface Design
• User Experience
• Relational Databases
• Artificial Intelligence
• Machine Learning.

Description of the project

I want to make a search engine with a gameable interface, a research tool with a playful way to discover new material. This will be a playful artistic intervention that takes and tweaks influence and input from the user to bring interesting and unexpected results. Implementing notions taken from slow technology. “Slow technology focuses on envelopment rather than development...” Lars HALLNÄS

What do I want to make? (Intro // Abstract)

I will build a playable interface as a means of engaging with my search engine. I would propose a different interface for exploring these digital libraries, one which can be re-configured and explored through the actions of a wandering reader. I want to move away from “the query” as the way of discovering or finding information within a selection of content, and instead to focus on the amble / unstructured walk / slow reveal as a means of search and discovery. I want to increase the ways in which one can explore information.

I would like to focus on the active participation of the searcher to directly influence their search results. This steers me away from search results that are generated through passive activity of the searcher, ie previous browsing and recent online activity used to tailor the results. The actions of the player within the game will tweak the search algorithm and generate different results for each player. The algorithm for the search engine will change according to user input through a gameable interface. This will allow room for a range of outcomes and generate new and unexpected outcomes whilst still remaining relevant to the individual. In this way I hope to create a useful and playful tool to help users find things outside of their filter bubble and provide material from outside of their usual search areas. From here I turn to Kevin Kelly the author of What Technology Wants who states the following:

“As a practical matter I’ve learned to seek the minimum amount of technology for myself that will create the maximum amount of choices for myself and others.” I want to increase the ways in which one can explore information, and the above quote reminds me that the aim of the project is to use simple, accessible, and recognisable formats, thus maintaining the focus on the content and forthcoming results, and not on the technology used to facilitate them. I would use this interface as a guide/companion in the hope to give those undertaking research, other options and ways of searching. I would like this to be an alternative experimental look at ways of discovering information and resources. I am interested in looking at the notion and idea of serendipity within the search process. Touching on the subject of slow-searching to allow for time and valuable reflection within the search method.

“invite the searcher into a reflective search activity, by slowing down the search process and thus encouraging them to be mindful of their intentions, present in their interactions, and reflective about what is presented to them.” Dörk, Bennett, Davies I am using slow searching to reference the allocation of time and allowances made for the digestion of information, I feel it is a necessary process to be used to deal with the immediacy offered to us by current search engines.