A Kapsul is an evolving, digital collection of works of art, artists, videos and texts that can be collaborative or private. You can use a Kapsul to gather research, plan an exhibition, share visual materials with a class, or just to collect art that interests you.
Kapsul is currently available to a growing group of invited testers so that we can refine the experience and feature set before a public launch. Any feedback that you have about what is working and what isn't is greatly appreciated - just hit the feedback button on the right of ever page.
When you first sign in to Kapsul, you'll land on page showing a list of all of your Kapsuls, including both Kapsuls that you own and Kapsuls that other people have invited you into. Click any Kapsul listed here to enter it. You can always get back to this page by clicking the Kapsuls link in the upper right hand corner of every page.
You can start a new Kapsul by clicking the blue button on the upper right of this page. You can name Kapsuls here by clicking the edit button. You can also choose the image you would like to represent this Kapsul and crop it appropriately (cropping here does not effect your original image). You can mark Kapsuls as a "favorite" with the star icon, so that your preferred Kapsuls will always show up first in this list. You can delete entire Kapsuls here too, but please note that there is no "undelete" feature for Kapsuls (unlike individual works which do have an undelete), so deleting a Kapsul is permanment.
Every Kapsul begins as private, so no work you do in a new Kapsul will be visible to anyone other than you until you choose to share your Kapsul.
Kapsul Search uses Google Search APIs to find images and links across the public web, but filters and categorizes results of particular interest to visual culture. You can use Kapsul search as a research tool to learn more about aritsts or topics in a Kapsul, for example, by clicking an artists name to begin a Kapsul Search for that artist. You can also use Kapsul Search as a fast way to add works to your Kapsul, searching for specific or general topics and adding images that you like.
Kapsul search categorizes image results according to the kind of site on which they were found, for example, Museums, Galleries or Magazines, as well as showing starndard Google Image Search results at the bottom of the page. If you know of a quality site that should be included in Kapsul Search, but doesn't seem to be, you can suggest the site to us for inclusion.
Click on the blue add icon on any image to add it to your Kapsul. A save dialog will appear, showing you any metadata the Google has provided us for that image. You can click Add Details to copy metedata immediately, or you can skip this step now and add details later. Every image added from search will store a link to the page where it was found, identified as its source. Often you may want to quickly grab many images first, and then go back later to examine the source pages to get collect details.
The save dialog also allows you to choose which Kapsul to save an image to. The default is that Kapsul you are currently in, but you can also save images to other Kapsuls or create a new Kapsul on the fly for new images.
Kapsul Search is available on every page inside Kapsul from the search bar at the top. The search page will come down on top of whatever page you are on, and can be hidden by clicking the X at the top right corner, or the Back to your Kapsul link at the bottom. After you save an image from search, a small window will appear at the bottom right corner to keep track of all images you've added, and where you've added them to. You can click any Kapsul name on that window to close the search and go to that Kapsul.
A work in a Kapsul is one or more digital images or videos and a number of optional text fields describing the work. Images may come from Kapsul Search, from files on your computer or from images on the public web. Videos that are hosted on YouTube or Vimeo can be embedded in a work. The bare requirement for a work is a single image or video. Works may optionally include additional images or videos to allow for different views of sculptures or installations, or for including detail views or related materials.
Metadata fields for works are:
Works are saved in a order you choose by dragging them around. Works may also be placed into named sets that you create. Works subimitted by people you've invted to you Kapsul as suggesters will show up at the bottom of the page in a special set called "Suggested Works". You are someone you invite to edit you Kapsul can "accept" these works by dragging them out of suggested works. As an editor you can also drag any work down to suggested works, or add works directly there if you choose.
The Works Page is the primary view of the works in a Kapsul. You can reach the works page at any time by clicking the works tab above the Kapsul name.
Clicking a small image on this page will expand it. Click the X on the image to shrink it again. When you expand a work, a details window will appear next it. You can scroll through all available metadata and notes, view other images of the work (if there are any) and open the fullsized image of the work in a separate tab. You can close the details window by clicking the X or drag it to different place on the screen. Click the left or right arrows on open image to open the previous or next image
You can sort the display of the images on the works page by clicking the caret-down icon next to the Kapsul title a choosing a sort order (currently available are "newest" and "oldest" with respect to their submission to your Kapsul and "custom" for the order you chose by dragging images around). While viewing works in the any sort other than "custom", you won't be able to drag images to reorder them.
To add a work from a file or from a public web page, click on the Add button on the right side, above your Kapsul, and select Work.
A dialog will open to show you ways you can add an image of a work from a file, a URL or with Search as well as a way to add a Video work.
To add an image from a file on your computer to click the "Browse.." button and select the file or files you want. Currently supported file formats are JPEG, GIF and PNG. On supported browsers you can also upload files by dragging and dropping them onto the upload dialog.
To add an image from a webpage, click the URL and enter the address of a page that contains the image you want, or the direct URL of the image file. We'll show you a list of images we could find from that site and you can select the one you want. Not all websites will allow us to pull images automatically, so if you don't see any results, you may need to try a different site. To add a video work, click the video tab and enter the URL of a video hosted on either YouTube or Vimeo.
If you own or have edit permissions for a Kapsul, you can choose where you want to put this work on the drop-down menu on this dialog. It can be put into either Accepted Works (which is the top group of images on your Kapsul that do not belong to a set) or Suggested Works or into any set that have been created. You can also move the work by dragging it after upload.
When your image or video has finished loading, you'll see it and its details pane animate open. If your Kapsul has been shared with others, we'll first prompt you for a quick note about your submission. You may skip this note, or add it later if you like, but we've found that having some amount of context for all submissions helps to promote exchange.
To add metadata to the work, click on any of the fields on the details pane. The field will open for editing. Enter any text you like then click away to close the field. You may also press tab to move between fields. Hit Done when you're finished to take the work out of edit mode and save changes.
If you have additional images of videos of this work to add, click add another image. The first image uploaded will display on the Works page by deault, but the remaining images are visible on the details pane for each work. To change the default image, drag the thumbnails into a new order - the first image shown here will appear by default.
To edit an existing work, expand it and click the edit icon to enter editing mode. Click on any field to add or change metadata. Any links that you add in the Description of Notes fields will become clickable links when the data is saved.
To remove images or videos associated with a work, hover over the image thumbnail in the details pane and click the X. All works must have at least one image or video, so if you want to change the primary image on a work, first upload the new image, then delete the old one.
You or anyone whom you invite as an editor may delete any work from the Works Page by expanding the work, and clicking the delete work icon on the bottom of the details window. Suggesters may delete works that they have submitted so long as they have not been accepted by an editor.
Deleted works are moved to the Deleted Works section of the Works Page which is visible only to the Kapsul owner and editors. To view deleted works, click on the caret down icon next to the Kapsul title and select menu and select Show Deleted Works.
To undelete a deleted work, expand it then click undelete this work at the bottom of the details window.
When a suggester adds a work that you think belongs in your Kapsul you can accept the work by clicking by dragging it out of the Suggested Works section.
When you accept a work you will be prompted to write a Curator's Note for the work, to help other members of the Kapsul understand why it was accepted. The Curator' Note is optional, and you may write one later by editing the work.
You are free to change your mind about an accepted work and make it suggested again. You can do this by dragging an accepted work into the Suggested Works section.
As a Kapsul owner or editor, you may choose the default order in which you want both Accepted and Suggested works to appear. To do so, simply drag and drop images on the works page into the order you choose.You can use reordering to make a suggested work accepted and vice versa, as well as to put works into sets.
You can sort the works in your Kapsul by oldest or newest submission date but clicking the caret down icon next to the Kapsul Title and choosing Sort works by.... While your works are being shown in a sorted order, you cannot drag them to reorder. To go back to the "custom sort" choose Sort Works by... custom.
A Set is a named group of works. You can use Sets to further organize Accepted Works in your Kapsul.
To create a set click the add button on the upper right and choose Set. You can give a set any name you like. To add works to a Set, drag and drop images into or out of your new set.
When you hover over a set's name, you'll see two icons which allow you to rename or delete a set. When you delete a set you'll be prompted for where you want to move the contents of the set after it is deleted, or if you want to delete all set contents.
Kapuls can also contain lists of Aritsts who are relevant, but for whom there is no specific work included. This is useful for curators who often think about an exhibition in terms of the artists involved, before thinking about specific works. It's also useful for suggesters who want to suggest that a particular artist be included without a specific work in mind.
Artists are stored in a Kapsul with their name and a stream of notes that Kapsul members can make about them. For each accepted or suggested work that has a name in the artist field, Kapsul will create a artist entry linked to the works that artist has in the Kapsul.
All the artists included or suggested in a Kapsul are visible on the Arist Page, which you can find by clicking the artists tab below the Kapsul Title
The Artist Page shows a list of all aritsts known to be involved in the Kapsul, separated into Accepted and Suggested Artists like the Works Page. If the artists have works included in the Kapsul, thumbnails of those works are shown on the right. Notes can be made on individual artists by clicking the notes link to expand the notes section. The name of each artist is also linked to Kapsul Search for that name, helping you to quickly find more relevant images and webpages.
To add an artist, click the add button on the upper right and select artist.
All that is required to add an artist is a name. Once the artist has been saved, we'll take you to the Artist page and prompt for a note about why this artist belongs in this Kapsul
Whenever you add or suggest a work and include a name in the artist name field, that artist will be automatically added to this list.
To delete an artist who has been suggested directly, simply click the delete link to the right of their name.
Artists that were added indirectly due to a work of theirs being in the Kapsul cannot be deleted so long as they still have works accepted or suggested in the Kapsul. If all of their works are deleted from the Kapsul, the artist will be automatically deleted as well.
The Kapsul Introduction is a text written by the and visible to all members of a Kapsul that introduces the ideas motivating the Kapsul. It is always accessible by clicking the caret down icon by the Kapsul Title and selecting Show Kapsul Introduction.
You can edit the Kapsul Introduction at any time by clicking edit below the text of the introduction.
Each work and artist in a Kapsul, as well as the Kapsul Introduction, has a stream of notes associated with it. You and anyone you invite to your Kapsul are free to add notes throughout.
Notes are unmoderated and visible to other members as soon as they are posted. As a the Kapsul owner, however you have the authority to delete any notes you find inappropriate or irrelevant by clicking the delete note icon next to each note. Once deleted a note cannot be undeleted. The poster of a note also has permission to delete his or her own notes.
Notes for works can be found on the bottom of their details window. Click the notes link to show or hide all notes. To make a note on an artist, click the notes link below the artists name on the artists page. To make a note on the Kapsul introduction, make it visible, then click on the notes link at the bottom
To get a picture of what has been happening inside a Kapsul, click the Activity tab above the Kapsul Title.
The Recent Activity page shows a feed of actions by everyone active in a Kapsul. The events listed currently include:
You can choose to be notified about these events by email as well, by choosing you Notification Settings.
You can share your Kapsul by inviting people to edit, suggest or view. Click the share icon on the upper right to invite people, or manage people you've already invtited.
If you have already invited people to this Kapsul, you will see them listed here. If no one has been invited, this Kapsul is visible to you only.
To invite people to your Kapsul, enter one or more email addresses (separated by commas) in the first box. Invitations will be sent over email, and people will need to create an account in order to access your Kapsul. You can add an optional message to go along with the emails that will come from Kapsul.org.
All the people you invite will be given one of three permission sets which are:
You can come back to the share dialog to manage the people involved in your Kapsul. You can change a person's permission level by clicking the current permission and selecting another. You can also remove a person from the list by pressing the X icon next to their name
You can view all the works in your Kapsul as a slidehow by clicking the Slideshow tab above the Kapsul Title. In the slideshow you can plar or pause for auto-transition, or you can move between images with the arrow keys. The slideshow takes up the full size of the browser window, but to go full screen you'll need to enter fullscreen mode in your browser. Browser specific instructions for doing so are given before beginning the slideshow.
Unfortunately, Safari does not currently support a full screen mode for regular HTML applications like Kapsul. There are a number of things Safari users can do to make you visible area bigger, but for true full screen we recommend using Firefox or Chrome.
To change your password, or the display name on your account, click on the Account link at the top right of corner of each page and select Account Settings.
You can edit your basic account information by hitting the edit button in the Account Information box. You can enter a new email address, display name or change your password. Hit save when you're done.
Kapsul will send you emails letting you know about activity in the Kapsuls you're involved in. You can control exactly which emails you want to receive by changing your Notification Settings in your Account Settings. Click the account link on the top right of each page then select Account Settings.
The first set of notifications deal with events related to you, such as private messages, content you submitted or conversations you're involved in over comments.
Next is a section that applies only to Kapsul that you own, that allows you, for example, to get notifications when any new work is suggested for your Kapsul.
Lastly there are settings for "Followed Kapsuls". These allows you to have notifications about any event in a Kapsul that you choose to follow, even if you're not the owner. The settings that you choose in this section apply to all the Kapsuls that you check in the "Followed Kapsuls" section below.