Æliens

The Web is becoming a universal repository of human knowledge and culture, which has allowed unprecedented sharing of ideas and information in a scale never seen before.

To satisfy his information need, the user might navigate the hyperspace of web links searching for information of interest. However, since the hyperspace is vast and almost unknown, such a navigation task is usually inefficient.

PERsonal and SOcial NAvigation through information spaceS

investigating a new approach to navigation through information spaces, based on a personalised and social navigational paradigm.

The AGNETA & FRIDA system seeks to integrate web-browsing and narrative into a joint mode. Below the browser window (on the desktop) are placed two female characters, sitting in their livingroom chairs, watching the browser during the session (more or less like watching television). Agneta and Frida (mother and daughter) physically react, comment, make ironic remarks about and develop stories around the information presented in the browser (primarily to each other), but are also sensitive to what the navigator is doing and possible malfunctions of the browser or server.

In this way they seek to attach emotional, comical or anecdotal connotations to the information and happenings in the browsing session. Through an activity slider, the navigator can decide on how active she wants the characters to be, depending on the purpose of the browsing session (serious information seeking, wayfinding, exploration or entertainment browsing).