Finding Creativity:
Between keywords and subjectivity, searching is an art
It takes knowledge to utilize the methods of search engines, but it also takes ingenuity to navigate the complexities of the image-word transaction
Online communities called "surf clubs championed the idea that searching was equivalent to making, a form of craft" 7
Created by artists, these were places where material could be circulated, searched, and reformulated creatively.
Image searching encourages a "willingness to search in various ways" - Flexibility of thought is needed to make the best use of the cyclical image-search process 6
Ultimately, working with visual information has the "potential to enable a more sophisticated understanding of organizational systems...visual inputs are synthesized by the brain into images thus taking into account the multi-dimensionality and interrelationships of various components within the data."
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By contrast, purely verbal information encourages "hierarchical, linear categories, making it a more reductionist undertaking.” 5
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The creativity of the image search process can be seen on both ends: the Cataloger creates correlations and the Searcher navigates the possibilities while both utilize tools such as keywords and subject analysis to communicate