The revisit rack: Grouping web search thumbnails for optimal visual recognition

Abstract

Opinion and use of thumbnails in web search is still divided, despite agreement over their particular value during re-finding tasks. In this paper we introduce the idea of a Revisit Rack that, during re-finding tasks, presents thumbnails together at the top of the page rather than beside each result, so that users can more effectively utilize visual recognition without scrolling. The results of a pilot re-finding comparison with a traditional thumbnail and text-based layout, however, were mixed. Further investigation suggests that the spatial disconnect between thumbnail and result, when a desired target is not in the Revisit Rack, may be more costly than the benefits provided when the result can be found. The study did, however, highlight several ways in which the idea of a Revisit Rack could be more formally studied in future work.