Dipity.com Dipity Blog

Dipity is an effective way to integrate, organize and visualize large sets of data. Employing the timeline, flipbook and map viewing modes, users can view their data in chronological order, by media associated to their content or by geolocation. Each viewing mode provides a novel and interesting way to visualize data. However, at Dipity we are constantly pushing ourselves to figure out new ways to make the organization and presentation of data easier and more efficient.

The question: How can we make it easier for a visitor to a timeline to find the specific information they are looking for inside a large set of data?

The answer: Give Dipity users and visitors the ability to search within the timeline itself.

Search within timeline is a powerful (and free) new feature that allows Dipsters to filter events by word or date range. Users can employ this tool in Timeline, Flipbook, List and Map view. You can navigate to a timeline and locate an event quickly without having to change zoom levels or scroll endlessly. The end result is that one timeline, with a simple search query, can be analyzed and dissected on multiple levels. Essentially, one timeline can suddenly become two or three or four timelines within one. Let me illustrate the power of this feature with the Steve Jobs timeline.

Let’s take a look at a section of the Steve Job’s Life and Career Timeline. As you can see, Steve has been pretty busy and his timeline is fairly cluttered.

Let’s say, as a visitor to the timeline, I am interested in Job’s involvement with the company Pixar. By first impression, it is hard to sift through and find the relevant events. However, if I click the link to search in the top right hand corner of the timeline I can enter the term “Pixar” in the search field. Now my Dipity timeline will display only events with the word “Pixar” in the title of description.

The new tool also offers an “advanced” option. With this option you can choose a date range in addition to your search term. Say you want to see what Steve was up to from 2008 to 2010. Simply enter the date range (you can also enter more specific dates, even down to the minute) and you will see only events in that range.

Search within timeline has implications both for visitors to and creators of timelines. For visitors it makes a timeline even more dynamic. For a timeline editor, it makes it easier to find an event you want to modify, eliminate duplicate events or double check timelines for accuracy. All in all it makes it that much easier for the user to interact with the Dipity platform.

The simplicity of the feature and the newfound ability to optimize and speed up the call of specific data points from a larger set has us excited. We sincerely hope that you find this new feature useful!

We’d love to hear your thoughts on search within timeline. Give it a try and let us know what you think in the comments section below. Simply click the “Search” button in the top right hand corner of this embed to get started.

Best of luck and happy Dipitying.

-Steve