In the last few weeks, we’ve launched a beautiful new look for Bing search. Starting today, we’re rolling out the same fresh look for Image search, which makes up 7% of all Bing searches. Say goodbye to tiny thumbnails and hello to an endless stream of big, beautiful pictures from across the web. Bing has always been known for its great image search, and now we’re making the whole experience even more immersive and fun.

When you check out the new image search, the first thing you’ll notice is the pictures themselves. Our goal with the new design was to make the images shine. We show bigger thumbnails and lay them out seamlessly so you can take them all in at once. Try these examples and you’ll see the difference:

• Planning a vacation? Bing Yosemite and see what you have to look forward to, or check out Florence for a European adventure.
• Need some fashion advice? Bing Lady Gaga for inspiration, or try a short haircut.
• Just want a pretty background? Bing has flowers, puppies, and more!

We hope the new look will entertain, inspire, and inform you about the world. Give it a spin, and then come back to see all the new features.

Dealing with Image Search Overload

When you’re making a presentation or hunting for clipart, finding just the right picture can feel overwhelming. There are so many options out there, and nobody wants to click on each one to see more. That’s why we made it easier than ever to find the right image.

Bigger thumbnails – We’ve made our results much larger so you can find exactly what you want with fewer clicks. Using advanced layout algorithms developed by Microsoft Research Asia, we trimmed out all our empty whitespace and filled it with larger pictures to make image search more visual.

                 

Magnifying glass – When you hover on an image, you’ll immediately get a blown up preview that follows your mouse around. You can hold up this “magnifying glass” to any picture and see its size, title, and where it comes from. It’s smooth, fluid, and a little bit addictive.

Filter bar – You shouldn’t have to hunt to find what you want. That’s why we made it easier than ever to reach Bing’s advanced search tools. Along the top, you can find filters for searching by size, color, type, layout, and faces. It’s never been easier to find wide photographs of purple flowers.

Search suggestions – When you typed “Chicago”, did you want the city or the sports team? Are you looking for the skyline or a map? To help you search more effectively, we suggest refinements that make your query more specific so you find what you need faster. We completely revamped these related searches to make them higher quality and more relevant for everyday tasks.

Get lost in the experience – The new image search is a powerful tool, but it’s not just a tool. We also made it more fun to use. When you search for hot celebrities, funny cats, or cute puppies, it’s easier than ever to sit back and enjoy yourself. You never know that you might find. The right side of the page is devoted to discovering new things. When you search for a person, we’ll recommend similar people to check out, movies they’ve been in, etc. It works for almost anything – try Obama, Sun Chips, or polar bears.

See what’s hot – We’ve also brought our popular trending searches feature to the results page, where you can discover what other Bing users are looking for. That way, you’re always on top of the biggest trends.

We hope you enjoy using the new image search as much as we did building it! Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for more updates.

– Jon Noronha, Program Manager, Bing Multimedia Team