Innovating iTV Browsing: Designing an Affective Search Engine

Theory supports the use of emotion and cognition to reach more informed decisions. Whilst, sound technologies are leading on affective search mechanisms, video technologies, such as iTV, have yet to follow. This research addresses iTV content information overload through the design of an affective search methodology, by combining emotion with cognition, to aid users decisions on watched content. A Research through Design approach aimed for innovation, user behaviour support and development. A collaborative thematic analysis then revealed that users’ browsing decisions are determined by their transient moods. Participants preferred to search by mood and reason combined. They expressed an interest in playful browsing and self-awareness tools, helping them understand their emotions. A novel interactive search system was then prototyped, consisting of mood inducing components, building a user archive of mood related video content, yielding personalised real-time recommendations. Moods could be translated and queried through a proposed html 5 mood tag. The resulting search engine supports worded and ‘tacit browsing’. In conclusion, more can be known in the HCI community on adding affect for iTV search and tackling content finding challenges, by the search UI designed.