Key Concept – Photo-Site

A photo-site is a set of photos that are linked together so that a viewer can explore a space interactively.

A photo-site can be thought of as:

  • a visual version of a web site where you browse through a site by following links.
  • a walk through virtual tour that can be explored easily.

For example, a user would navigate a photo-site by going left, right, up or down from the current image. Further (and this is crucial) the user can click on a link area within the current image to move forward to a new location. At this new location you would usually see a close-up view, but you could see a new view round a corner or with the door open.

A photo-site can have links to other photo-sites or to web pages etc.

In a photo-site you can navigate forwards or backwards in time, ie to provide before and after images.

Easy to Create and Use

It is important that photo-sites are easy to set up and use. A photo-site creator can take photos with an ordinary digital camera – no special tools or extraordinary photo-taking skills are required.

The Space Browse creator interface must make it easy to put together a photo-site from the raw photos.

The Space Browse viewer must be easy and intuitive to use by ordinary computer users on all computer platforms.

The Space Browse tools must be accessible and easily available in other languages

Popularisation

It is hoped that Space Browse photo-sites will become very well known and part of the lingo of internet users in the same way as web sites, email and blogs.

Popularisation of the idea will be easier if there are plenty of photo-sites available for viewing, eg on a central web site.

Initially, creators will set up specific scenes to be photographed. Once part of a creator’s mind-set, there should be constant opportunities to take photographs to create photo-sites.

Use Scenarios

Photo-sites have many uses, both for work and play. A key aspect is that people can invent their own uses for any situation where a visual exploration of an area is desired. Example uses:

Use Description

Real estate agent:

Show a house room by room with images of special features, views out of the window and exploration of the surroundings.

This benefits the house purchaser because they get a better feel for what a house really looks and feels like. It also avoids unnecessary viewings, so it saves time for purchasers, agents and owners.

Quote: "being able to see round houses on the web would have meant that she would have seen many more houses than she did"

Quote: "When I go on those sites I often feel the urge to have a closer look at some detail - or the view from a window."
Tourist and Conference venues: Lets potential visitors wander round the hotel, holiday cottage, conference or exhibition venue. Makes it clear what facilities are available.
Office snapshots: Show your office in action. Shows the facilities you have available and your dynamic interesting work space.

Event recording:

Provide snapshots as a birthday party occurs or as a music festival takes place.

Quote: "It's quite nice to wander aimlessly as a kind of art experience."
Sports: Take photos to show the golf course holes in detail, the moves on a rock climb, or track on a race course.
Travel directions: Eg for motorists, cyclists, pedestrians or hikers to show the route in detail.
Alternative to PowerPoint: Make presentations more interesting using a photo trail to illustrate your talk.
Treasure hunt: Hide the links to make a virtual treasure hunt
Progress indicators: Use before and after shots to show progress on a task, eg as building work is done or as a recipe is followed.

Let us know what photo-sites you've created so we can add to this list.

Sales Models

Spacebrowse web site

The initial plan is to provide a web site called spacebrowse.com where people can create and view photo-sites. The web site will:
  • Act as focal point for the new idea
  • Introduce people to the idea for free
  • Show photo-sites that others have made available - as examples of how to use the idea
  • Help the idea take hold and snowball
  • Will provide an earnings stream as people sign up to access storage space
  • Avoid installation and set up issues of alternative delivery systems
  • Provide a community to comment and rate others’ photo-sites
  • Provide groups so that photo-sites can be shared with family and friends etc
As a further development, other web sites will be able to sign up to use the Space Browse viewer on their web site in a mashup, ie the other web site gets the content dynamically from spacebrowse.com so it appears to be part of their web site. In this case, a photo-site would be designed on spacebrowse.com but appear to be on the other web site. There might be an extra charge for this facility.

Possible Off-site Options

  • Future developments would allow users to download complete photo-sites and host them on their own web sites.
  • Tools could be provided to let people create photo-sites on their own computers.

Other options

  • Mark-up service
  • Franchise out to photographers to visit houses for sale
  • Users can trade made-up sites
  • Burn to CD. Or CD/DVD as a video

ALPHA: All photo-sites are visible to everyone. Not all features available.