New Visualization Modes for Effective Image Presentation

In this paper we consider the problem of effective browsing of collections of images. In particular, we address those situations where it is necessary to find a limited number of images satisfying certain criteria, as well as the very common case in which the user, not having a clear idea about what to search, needs to explore the entire picture database to identify what he or she simply likes. The approaches we propose try to find good trade-offs between browsing time and quality of the exploration. The article has a twofold purpose: on the one hand, it presents a selection of the new image display methods we have developed in the last years, which differentiate from those considered to date by the Information Visualization community; on the other hand, it illustrates the results obtained through comparative tests performed on a subset of the developed display modes, with the main aim to prove the feasibility of their use as substitutes for the usual "grid" arrangement.