Search in a nature inspired user interface

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions for:

• providing a virtual environment having a visual appearance corresponding to a scene from nature;
• processing the collection of data from at least one chart in a database table;
• presenting a first collection of icons within the virtual environment that represent a collection of data, the first collection of icons including a plurality of icons that represent a plurality of performance metrics derived from the collection of data and a group icon,
• wherein the plurality of icons cluster around the group icon to provide a visual indication that the plurality of icons are generated from the collection of data in the chart in the database table;
• displaying a search bar to receive a search input;
• receiving a search parameter input to the search bar;
• performing a search based on the search parameter to return a plurality of search results;
• representing each of the plurality of search results as an icon from a second collection of icons, wherein the proximity of each of the second collection of icons to the search bar in the virtual environment is based on the relevance of the corresponding search result to the search parameter input to the search bar, and
• wherein the second collection of icons are displayed in the virtual environment in concentric regions surrounding the search bar, and icons of the second collection of icons corresponding to search results more relevant to the search parameter are displayed in concentric regions of the virtual environment having smaller circumferences and icons of the second collection of icons corresponding to search results less relevant to the search parameter are displayed in concentric regions of the virtual environment having larger circumferences;
• receiving an updated search parameter input to the search bar;
• and
• modifying the location of each of the second collection of icons in the virtual environment based on the updated search parameter, wherein icons of the second collection of icons corresponding to search results more relevant to the search parameter migrate closer to the search bar in the virtual environment and icons of the second collection of icons corresponding to search results less relevant to the search parameter migrate away from the search bar in the virtual environment, wherein the migration comprises an animation wherein the corresponding icons of the second collection of icons move in a manner corresponding to a creature within the scene from nature.

A computer-implemented system for presenting a collection of data, the system comprising:

• one or more computer processors;
• a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions, which when executed, control the one or more computer processors to be configured for:
• providing a virtual environment having a visual appearance corresponding to a scene from nature;
• processing the collection of data from at least one chart in a database table;
• presenting a first collection of icons within the virtual environment that represent a collection of data, the first collection of icons including a plurality of icons that represent a plurality of performance metrics derived from the collection of data and a group icon,
• wherein the plurality of icons cluster around the group icon to provide a visual indication that the plurality of icons are generated from the collection of data in the chart in the database table;
• displaying a search bar to receive a search input;
• receiving a search parameter input to the search bar;
• performing a search based on the search parameter to return a plurality of search results;
• representing each of the plurality of search results as an icon from a second collection of icons, wherein the proximity of each of the second collection of icons to the search bar in the virtual environment is based on the relevance of the corresponding search result to the search parameter input to the search bar, and
• wherein the second collection of icons are displayed in the virtual environment in concentric regions surrounding the search bar, and icons of the second collection of icons corresponding to search results more relevant to the search parameter are displayed in concentric regions of the virtual environment having smaller circumferences and icons of the second collection of icons corresponding to search results less relevant to the search parameter are displayed in concentric regions of the virtual environment having larger circumferences;
• receiving an updated search parameter input to the search bar;
• and
• modifying the location of each of the second collection of icons in the virtual environment based on the updated search parameter, wherein icons of the second collection of icons corresponding to search results more relevant to the search parameter migrate closer to the search bar in the virtual environment and icons of the second collection of icons corresponding to search results less relevant to the search parameter migrate away from the search bar in the virtual environment, wherein the migration comprises an animation wherein the corresponding icons of the second collection of icons move in a manner corresponding to a creature within the scene from nature.