Imagine ditching the endless scroll through lifeless grids of images and stepping into a vibrant, swirling gallery where every picture tells a story and sparks your next big idea— that's the revolution SOOT is bringing with Spiral.
SOOT, the innovative visual intelligence platform dedicated to empowering creative discovery, has just introduced Spiral, a groundbreaking image search engine that's all about transforming the way we hunt for visuals. Tailored for artists, scholars, and anyone who thrives on visual inspiration, Spiral takes a simple input—a prompt—and morphs it into an intricate moodboard in mere moments. Its mission? To unearth hidden connections between images that dive deeper than mere labels or keywords, letting your imagination roam freely and follow wherever curiosity takes it.
But here's where it gets intriguing: Instead of dumping results in a boring, flat lineup, Spiral showcases hundreds of images on a curved, spiral-shaped display that uncovers patterns, historical timelines, and stylistic links all at a glance. Picture this—querying 'the transformation of Tokyo street fashion from the 1980s to today' doesn't just spit out photos with matching tags. Oh no, Spiral weaves together subcultures, fabrics, and cultural impacts to paint a broader, more dynamic visual narrative. As founder and CEO Jake Harper puts it, they discovered the real issue wasn't flawed algorithms, but the very shape of the interface itself. By bending it into a spiral, users can absorb hundreds of visuals simultaneously, generating what SOOT dubs 'heat maps of connections' that prioritize exploration over mere listings. This makes searching feel like strolling through an endless art exhibit, where each image builds on the last, helping even newcomers to visual tools grasp complex relationships without feeling overwhelmed.
The experience resembles wandering a living visual world rather than mindlessly flicking through a feed. Take Spiral's Deep Mode, for instance—it breaks down one prompt into multiple thematic paths, while the Lasso Search lets you select a cluster of related images and dive deeper into them. Plus, it draws from curated sources like eBay, Vogue Runway, or public archives, proving invaluable for fashion analysts, art directors, and designers seeking precise references. To illustrate, a designer might use it to trace how punk influences evolved into modern streetwear, pulling real historical photos and runway shots to inspire a collection.
And this is the part most people miss—Spiral doesn't create brand-new images from scratch. It exclusively reshuffles authentic, pre-existing online visuals into more meaningful, motivational arrangements. In essence, it's a tool that aligns with how visual thinkers truly process and engage with information, fostering an intuitive method to brainstorm creative concepts. Beta testers have hailed it as a 'natural fit' for mapping out ideas. Creative director Ji Park appreciates how it swiftly clarifies distinct atmospheres and vibes, while artist Oliver Torr values its dual ability for broad wandering and targeted investigation within the same interface.
Spiral marks SOOT's debut public offering, part of their grand vision to build 'the visual foundation of computing,' which includes upcoming features like Spaces—a visual file organizer in private testing—and a developer toolkit launching later this year. With Spiral, SOOT is giving creative professionals a fresh approach to browsing, sorting, and linking images that shatters traditional search limitations.
But here's where it gets controversial: Is reorganizing existing images enough, or should search tools generate entirely new visuals to push boundaries further? Some might argue that sticking to real photos respects authenticity, while others could see it as limiting innovation compared to AI-generated art. What do you think—does Spiral's real-image focus make it more trustworthy for serious creatives, or does it hold back the potential for endless originality? Share your thoughts in the comments; I'd love to hear if you're team authenticity or team limitless creation!
