Imagini

About Imagini

Imagini is a London-based technology company that developed technology to capture VisualDNA, a means of understanding emotions through images. In 2009, Imagini was granted a patent for its method and system for computerized searching and matching multimedia objects using emotional preference. There are currently two further patents pending for the underlying IP.

In February 2009, Imagini secured an additional $13.5 million in second round funding from Horizon Ventures, NorthZone Ventures and Atomico.

The Imagini technology builds VisualDNA by collecting the feelings and motivations of consumers using image-based quizzes that identify and map visual preferences across a series of behavioural axes. The technology can be used to capture emotional responses to a wide variety of pictorial stimuli from aesthetic elements such as style and form, through to more abstract concepts such as freedom, happiness, fulfilment and love. Over 15 million people have profiled themselves using VisualDNA since March 2006.

Imagini's visual approach differs from traditional text-based research tools since it taps into the strongest source of emotional reflex. Imagini proposes that feelings are the purest form of communication and emotional responses precede rational thought. Questions answered with words need thought and thoughts modify feelings. Images access feelings without the need for higher thought. With Imagini image-based quizzes, users express their emotions in just one click.

The BBC has nominated Youniverse, Imagini's visual communication platform, one of the best sites on the web. Other media such as The Wall Street Journal, PC World, The Guardian or bloggers have positively reviewed Imagini.

In 2010, the BBC identified Imagini's ProfileWiz, a tool designed to help users fill out their dating profile by completing a quick visual quiz, as one of the best sites on the web. The benefits of Profilewiz were also blogged about on FT.com, Wall Street Journal.com, and Venturebeat.

Implementation

The Imagini tool and the term VisualDNA were invented by Alex Willcock in 2005. The first web-based application of the tool and VisualDNA were launched on Imagini.net in 2005. Imagini.net saw extremely rapid viral growth, with over 5 million people discovering their VisualDNA on the site within the first 6 months.

Imagini’s technology has been used in collaboration with a number of commercial partners including MSN, the Art Institute of America, The British Army, Nectar, MyDeco.com, PepsiCo, eHarmony, Match.com and the Los Angeles Times.

PepsiCo used Imagini’s Youniverse as a new visual communication platform to connect people globally through their love of football, music and more (160 countries, 8 languages). Imagini also powered the product recommendation function on mydeco.com, Brent Hoberman of Lastminute.com's new venture. September 2008 saw the launch of the Hotels.com Visualiser, introducing a completely new way to search for hotels online.

In 2008, Imagini launched Youniverse.com, its new social networking portal and the home of VisualDNA., In 2009, VisualDNA Shops were launched. 2010 saw the launch of the Profile Wiz, AdZappa and Audience Analytics products.

VisualDNA

VisualDNA is a term for the information captured by London-based company Imagini’s patented technology for understanding emotions through images. The term, and surrounding methodology, was invented by Alex Willcock in 2005.

VisualDNA is universal and unique. Each person has their own VisualDNA. Similarly, Imagini claims that every image, every product, every item of web content can have its own VisualDNA code. This code can then be used to match people to people and people to content that they are likely to find relevant.

The BBC nominated Youniverse, Imagini's social network and home of Visual DNA, one of the best sites on the web.

A Visual Approach

Imagini builds VisualDNA by collecting the feelings and motivations of consumers. The unique methodology and technology is structured around image-based quizzes formulated to capture the visual preferences of a user and typically deployed as HTML microsites linked from publisher sites. The technology can be used to capture emotional responses to a wide variety of pictorial stimuli from aesthetic elements such as style and form, through to more abstract concepts such as freedom, happiness, fulfilment and love.

In each quiz, users respond to a series of carefully selected open statements designed to trigger specific emotional responses. Each statement has a choice of between 12-15 images presented in a ‘grid'. The methodology for selecting the images, the metadata stored behind each one, the behavioural criteria and the method of scoring are all inherent to Imagini’s IP and, as such, patented and patent-pending. Behind each image is a rich contextual taxonomy and series of behavioral axes. With every click, the user produces more tags (on average 50-100 per user per quiz).

It is the pattern of images chosen by each user that Imagini describes as their VisualDNA. Imagini stores a user's profile in its data store with a unique anonymous id placed in a visualdna.com cookie which allows users to see, edit and delete their data whenever they visit my.visualdna.com.

Publishers access each user's profile through a JavaScript API enabling them to personalize their site for each user. For example, a collaborative filter uses our Relevant Content Service to find users with most similar profiles that have accessed the site in the last 24 hours, collates the stories that those users have read and recommends these stories back to the user. Click through rates on recommended content are 37% higher compared to showing the most popular stories of the day for all users.

Imagini also integrates with major Ad Servers to enable publishers to sell impressions of specific audiences to their advertisers. For example, publishers who use DART can deliver ads to specific audiences using the Boomerang extension to DFP. It is straightforward for advertisers to buy "sports lovers" or "female, hikers" or "photography enthusiasts, family with young children", for example, and straightforward for publishers to traffic ads at these audiences.

VisualDNA is dynamic. An individual’s VisualDNA is constantly growing, as is the global database of VDNA.

Consumer Proposition

VisualDNA is the key to a more personalised internet for consumers. It delivers a more fun and efficient online experience by filtering content according to the individual user’s tastes and needs.

A key feature of the Imagini tool is the ability to identify powerful trends and clusters within the VisualDNA database. It is partly these patterns of commonality of choice that enable highly relevant matches between users and to products and content that they might like.

Commercial Applications

There are extensive commercial applications for the VisualDNA technology, with the potential to increase reach, lead generation and customer retention. These include community building, product recommendation, viral marketing and customer insight research. Imagini's powerful inference algorithms enable powerful and accurate prediction of gender, age and user interests which are already being used effectively by Imagini's partners.

Methodology and Technology

Imagini’s methodology and technology is structured around image-based quizzes formulated to capture the visual preferences of a user. In each quiz, users respond to a series of carefully selected open statements designed to trigger specific emotional responses. Each statement has a choice of up to 15 images in a five by three image ‘grid’, usually including one grey ‘none of the above’ box. The methodology for selecting the images, the metadata stored behind each one, the behavioural criteria and the method of scoring are all inherent to Imagini’s IP and, as such, carefully protected.

The amount of questions in each quiz varies, as does the subject matter or theme. The scale and diversity of Imagini’s database has enabled it to learn how to adjust the tempo of its quizzes to ensure the best combination of user interest and data management.

It is the pattern of images chosen by each user that Imagini describes as their VisualDNA. In a quiz of ten questions with fifteen options, there are 10 to the power of 15 potential combinations of choice.

At the end of each "quiz", demographic data can also be captured including age, gender, marital status, location and sometimes other details such as income.

This methodology allows Imagini to identify powerful trends and clusters. It is partly these patterns of commonality of choice that enable highly relevant matches between users and to products and content that they might like.

Having completed a quiz, the user receives feedback based on their image selection and their unique VisualDNA, as well as highly tailored recommendations.