1. Designing Serendipitous Experience While Surfing Web
OzCHI Student Design Challenge 2011
Team Orana
Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati, India
1

2. Design Challenge
Identify an activity that is mostly isolated experience and to design this
activity to allow for serendipitous encounters
2

3. Presentation Flow
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Serendipity – Our Understanding
Concept behind current Serendipity in Web
What’s missing?
Our Concept , filling the gap
Our Concept – ‘Discover’
Prototype
Evaluation
Conclusion
References
Acknowledgement
3

4. Serendipity- Our Understanding
Meaning
• Making happy and unexpected discoveries by accident.
• Pleasant surprise
• Unpredictability of the event
In the Online World
• Web : Greatest serendipity engine.
• Aimless browsing and online search lead to serendipitous
experiences.
?
4

5. Serendipity- Our Understanding
Meaning
• Making happy and unexpected discoveries by accident.
• Pleasant surprise
• Unpredictability of the event
In the Online World
• Web : Greatest serendipity engine.
• Aimless browsing and online search lead to serendipitous
experiences.
?
4

6. Concept behind current Serendipity attempts in Web
Search results are tailored based on user’s Web history
Past interests determine what users are exposed to in the future
Hence,
Unique universe of information for each user is created
This is called the Filter Bubble
5

7. Screenshot
of Google
Search by
user at
Guwahati
Screenshot
of Google
Search by
user at
Houston 6

8. Concept behind current Serendipity attempts in Web
Search results are tailored based on user’s Web history
Past interests determine what users are exposed to in the future
Hence,
Unique universe of information for each user is created
This is called the Filter Bubble
7

9. Screenshot of
StumbleUpon by user at
Guwahati
Screenshot of
StumbleUpon by another
user at Guwahati
8

10. Screenshot of YouTube by
user A
Screenshot of YouTube by
user B
9

11. Concept behind current Serendipity attempts in Web
Search results are tailored based on user’s Web history
Past interests determine what users are exposed to in the future
Hence,
Unique universe of information for each user is created
This is called the Filter Bubble
10

12. YOU
12

13. What’s Missing?
Aren’t the present search patterns based on user interests leaving less
room for unexpected encounters?
How often are we driven to explore the unexplored world of Web and
thus an accidental discovery?
Are we truly realizing the initial intention behind ‘Hyper Text’ which was
to establish a continuously growing, globally interconnected library of
information?
12

14. What’s Missing?
Aren’t the present search patterns based on user interests leaving less
room for unexpected encounters?
How often are we driven to explore the unexplored world of Web and
thus an accidental discovery?
Are we truly realizing the initial intention behind ‘Hyper Text’ which was
to establish a continuously growing, globally interconnected library of
information?
12

15. What’s Missing?
Aren’t the present search patterns based on user interests leaving less
room for unexpected encounters?
How often are we driven to explore the unexplored world of Web and
thus an accidental discovery?
Are we truly realizing the initial intention behind ‘Hyper Text’ which was
to establish a continuously growing, globally interconnected library of
information?
12

16. Our Concept, filling the gap
What?
• Our idea is to enhance serendipitous experience of user while
surfing Web
• We provide the user an opportunity to accidentally discover
information unbiased to his interests
How?
• We intend to incorporate the possibilities of serendipitous
encounters in user’s isolated activity of opening a new tab
• The free space between the tabs in the form of blank page or
homepage before he enters the next URL is where we plant our
concept ‘Discover’
13

18. Our Concept, filling the gap
What?
• Our idea is to enhance serendipitous experience of user while
surfing Web
• We provide the user an opportunity to accidentally discover
information unbiased to his interests
How?
• We intend to incorporate the possibilities of serendipitous
encounters in user’s isolated activity of opening a new tab
• The free space between the tabs in the form of blank page or
homepage before he enters the next URL is where we plant our
concept ‘Discover’
15

19. Screenshot of current tab
16

20. Screenshot of current tab
16

21. User working
in current tab
Concept Flow
17

22. Concept Flow
User working
in current tab
On opening new tab
Words chosen from
Textual content of the
tab
Word 1
Word 2
Word 3
17

23. Concept Flow
User working
in current tab
On opening new tab
Words chosen from
Textual content of the
tab
Word 1
Word 2
Word 3
Images related
to words
New tab
Image 1
Image 2
17

24. Concept Flow
User working
in current tab
On opening new tab
Words chosen from
Textual content of the
tab
Word 1
Word 2
Word 3
Images related
to words
New tab
Image 1
Image 2
On clicking the image
Webpage
1
Webpage
2
17

25. Fig: Textual Content
18

26. Fig: Highlighted words
18

27. Serendipitous Image Result for
Short, Africa
Serendipitous Image Result for
Common, Area
19

28. Image links to corresponding Web Page
Image links to corresponding Web Page
28

29. Prototype

30. Previous tab
New tab
Navigation
Diagram
Interface
Previous web
pages
Suggested Images
Blank/ Homepage
New layer
Exit layer
Site preview
Enter site
20

31. Evaluation
Prototype was tested with 15 users
User demographics:
Age : 18 to 24 years.
Qualification : Under-graduates, Graduates
Questions:
On a scale of 1(lowest) to 5(highest) rate your opinion:
1. How new did you find the concept?
2. What do you think about the scope of the idea?
3. How interesting was the overall experience?
21

32. Evaluation
Prototype was tested with 15 users
User demographics:
Age : 18 to 24 years.
Qualification : Under-graduates, Graduates
Questions:
On a scale of 1(lowest) to 5(highest) rate your opinion:
1. How new did you find the concept?
2. What do you think about the scope of the idea?
3. How interesting was the overall experience?
21

33. Fig. Analysis of User Testing
The users found it an interesting and informative experience
However, opinion regarding scope was neutral
22

34. Conclusion
•
•
•
•
We found a problem in the context of Serendipity on Web
Enhanced the meaning of Serendipity in the online world
Found the gaps in the concepts of current service providers
Our concept , providing the user an opportunity to accidentally
discover information unbiased to his interests
• Evaluation of user test results to analyze the transfer of experience
Therefore, Enhancing Serendipity for your Online Experience!
23

35. Acknowledgements
We thank Prof. P. Y. Yammiyavar for his enthusiastic guidance and
encouragement. Also OzCHI SDC 2011 team for this opportunity
References
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Number of visuals in the presentation are sourced from the NET/Books/Other sources
Visuals belong to respective designers/ creators
Bowles, M.S., 2004. Relearning to E-Learn: Strategies for electronic learning and knowledge. Victoria,
Australia: Melbourne University Press.
Gritton, J., 2007. Of serendipity, free association and aimless browsing: do they lead to serendipitous
learning?
Guardian, 2011. How the net traps us all in our own little bubbles Available from:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/jun/12/google-personalisation-internet-data-filtering
[Accessed 25 October, 2011].
Johnson, S.B., 2006. Can We Please Kill This Meme Now.
http://www.stevenberlinjohnson.com/2006/05/can_we_please_k.html [Accessed 25 October, 2011].
Pariser, E.. 2011.The Filter Bubble: What the Internet is Hiding From You. U.S.A.: Penguin Press HC.
24