Collages for Information Gathering, by PixSmix

Jen Consalvo September 9, 2010 Tweet

PixSmix, a simple collage-making application, has more going on than you would think. With an elegant design and a simplicity we don’t see very often, PixSmix is actually focused on using photographic images & collages as a user interface to acquire data and information. This information can be leveraged to connect people, assess preferences for brand and or product imagery, or to facilitate consumer engagement with products or brands. At first glance, it reminds me of products I tested years ago by Imagini (VisualDNA & Youniverse).

PixSmix connects people and products through ambiguous image interaction and data analysis.

There is a basic, free account, but the feature set is so limited, you’d want to upgrade to a pro membership ($20 per year) so you can at least connect your Flickr gallery of photos with pixSmix, allowing you to bring in your own content. Pro members can also request public images with a keyword search, and variable settings let you control how many pictures come from your personal channel.

Founded just this past spring in Bloomington, this young product is still in it’s early stages and the team is seeking funding. The founders include:

• Kevin Makice, a well known member of the Bloomington tech scene, PHd candidate in the school of informatics and author of one of the first books on the Twitter API.
• John Talbott, on the marketing faculty at the Kelley School after a seven year stint as VP of marketing at Fossil Inc.
• Lionel Farinha, owner of Celissa International which provides product control services to companies like Zara.

Meet the team at tonight’s TECH cocktail at The Combine, in Bloomington, Indiana, where PixSmix will be one of the featured startups.