Search and discover

Search and discover

London – A new search engine explores a world in which serendipity is valued over efficiency.

Article/17824 #1
Metadrift by Wai-Chuen Cheung, London

London – A new search engine explores a world in which serendipity is valued over efficiency.

  • Metadrift enables users to wander within search terms
  • ‘The problem with conventional search engines is that they only show us what we’re already looking for, or expecting to find,’ says creator Wai-Chuen Cheung

Google is a modern marvel, but it has its limits. Like all search engines, it is good at giving you what you want, but bad at telling you what you need. How do you find something you didn’t know you were looking for? That is the question Royal College of Art student Wai-Cheun Cheung posed for his course in Innovation Design Engineering. The answer is Metadrift, a search engine that uses 3D visualisation to enable users to ‘get lost’ within a landscape of embodied information.

‘We are in need of new tools and environments to explore on the internet – ones that don’t constrain us to algorithmically selected destinations and instead allow us to find our own path through digital space,’ says Cheung, who hopes to turn his prototype into a widely used tool.

The Big Picture: For all their achievements, none of the digital mega-systems have managed to replicate the experience of browsing in a store. To understand why, read our opinion column by Enders Analysis CEO Douglas McCabe.

Discover More News
Asahi Super Dry spotlights style and culture in campaign for Women’s Rugby World Cup

News

Asahi Super Dry spotlights style and culture in campaign for Women’s Rugby World Cup

Asahi Super Dry has launched a bold new campaign film starring English rugby union player Ellie Kildunne, spotlighting the confidence, creativity a...
Sports : Food And Drink : Advertising
Meta eyes smart glasses market with reported EssilorLuxottica stake

News

Meta eyes smart glasses market with reported EssilorLuxottica stake

Meta is reportedly taking a £2.6bn ($3.5bn, €3bn) stake in EssilorLuxottica, emphasising the tech giant’s growing commitment to smart eyewear as a ...
Technology : Fashion : Smart Glasses
Stat: Culture-driven fandom is reshaping Formula 1

News

Stat: Culture-driven fandom is reshaping Formula 1

Formula 1’s global fandom is entering a new era, fuelled by Gen Z, women and culturally captivated audiences.
Sports : Formula One : Streaming
Immersive design is reshaping the future of luxury spaces

News

Immersive design is reshaping the future of luxury spaces

Immersive technologies are redefining how luxury brands design and deliver physical spaces, from real estate to retail and hospitality.
Luxury : Technology : Design
Polaroid champions an analogue way of living amid AI hype

News

Polaroid champions an analogue way of living amid AI hype

Polaroid has launched The Camera for an Analog Life, a campaign designed to push back against screen fatigue and AI overload. The initiative celebr...
Technology : Design : Advertising
Zalando shifts from algorithm discovery to beauty expert authority with Insider’s Edit

News

Zalando shifts from algorithm discovery to beauty expert authority with Insider’s Edit

Zalando is rethinking how it sells beauty with the launch of Insider’s Edit, a new shoppable content series that blends expert advice with curated ...
Beauty : Retail : Fashion
Stat: AI’s impact on traditional search is already impacting ad spend

News

Stat: AI’s impact on traditional search is already impacting ad spend

As AI agents begin making purchases on behalf of consumers, retailers must redesign websites and rethink advertising strategies to remain visible a...
Technology : Retail
Iris van Herpen unveils Sympoiesis at Paris Haute Couture Week

News

Iris van Herpen unveils Sympoiesis at Paris Haute Couture Week

At Paris Haute Couture Week, Iris van Herpen unveiled Sympoiesis, a collection steeped in material innovation.
Couture : Fashion : Bioluminescent Algae
Foresight Friday: Dan Hastings, deputy foresight editor

News

Foresight Friday: Dan Hastings, deputy foresight editor

Every Friday, we offer an end-of-week wrap-up of the topics, issues, ideas and virals we’re all talking about.
Fashion : Luxury : Pop Culture & Media
Stat: Global spending on leisure travel will triple by 2040

News

Stat: Global spending on leisure travel will triple by 2040

A new report by Boston Consulting Group reveals that the global leisure travel market is set to triple in value, growing from £3.51 trillion ($4.25...
Travel : Hospitality : Tourism
You have 1 free News articles remaining. Sign up to LS:N Global to get unlimited access to all articles.
BECOME A MEMBER
SIGN IN