combinFormation [1][2][3] is a mixed-initiative tool that promotes information discovery by synthesizing processes of searching, browsing, collecting, mixing, organizing, and thinking about information. One way to start combinFormation is by mixing multiple queries. For each search query, participants can select a search engine or social information service, including Google, Yahoo, Flickr, or Delicious. They can also use combinFormation to explore and discover information in digitual libraries such as ACM Digital Library and the International Children’s Digital Library.

Figure 1: Mixed-initiatives in combinFormation, an experiential and functional overview.

The system generates relevant information with image and text surrogates engaging complementary cognitive subsystems. Each collection of information resources is represented as a connected whole. Temporal visual composition generates a continuously evolving mixed-initiative composition space. Agents work together with the participant to find relevant information, create visual surrogates (bookmarks) with clippings from documents, and compose the visual surrogates (Figure 1). Meaning develops through juxtapositions of surrogates, which create new relationships. This sets the stage for the emergence of new ideas. To evaluate the system, we conducted a field study in the Design Process class. Students performed better in developing new inventions while using combinFormation to collect prior work, than they did when using Google and Word (see Figure 2) [2][3].

Figure 2: Example of a composition space created with the mixed-initiative system, combinFormation by a student in the Design Process course. (Click here for a larger view)

References

[1] Interface Ecology Lab (2008), combinFormation, http://ecologylab.cs.tamu.edu/combinFormation/

[2] Kerne, A., Koh, E., Dworaczyk, B., Mistrot, M.J., Choi, H., Smith, S.M., Graeber, R, Caruso, D., Webb, A., Hill, R., Albea, J., combinFormation: A Mixed-Initiative System for Representing Collections as Compositions of Image and Text Surrogates, Proceedings of JCDL 2006, 11-20.

[3] Kerne, A., Koh, E., Smith, S.M., Webb, A., Dworaczyk, B., combinFormation: Mixed-Initiative Composition of Image and Text Surrogates Promotes Information Discovery, ACM Transactions on Information Systems, in press.