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Annotation Guidelines

Image Sourcing & Captioning

Table of Contents
1. Logging in to your Account
    • Completed Annotations – all annotations have been approved.

2. Brand and Products

Brands

Source Product Images and Lifestyle Images from the provided set of Brand URLs. You will be assigned URLs and should aim to annotate all relevant products before moving to the next brand. 

Ensure that the Brand URLs include the complete URL.
The ‘https://’ is an essential part of the URL.

Follow the Brand Name as indicated by the URL you are working on. The Annotation Assignment list may sometimes have unusual formatting or incorrect names. 

Products

Products that are out of stock can still be annotated, as long as there are valid images. If the product is available only in certain variants (e.g., a blue shirt is no longer available), you may still annotate any color variants with valid images, regardless of their availability. 

3. Find your relevant Product Images & Lifestyle Images

 

4. Identify Product vs Lifestyle Images

From the Product URL, save the following types of images and mark the type (need to delineate between the two types of image): 

1x Product Image (see dropdown for definition)
Product Image Definition:
  1. The product image should be isolated
  2. Color
    • Featuring either a transparent or solid color background
    • A neutral or plain background
  3. Objects in the image
    • The image never include humans. Objects in an image could come in pairs/triplets/etc.
    • Object could be located not in focal point of an image
    • There should be no text or graphics on the image (Text or graphics printed on the product is OK)
    • No other artefacts present on image such as stripes, compression artefacts, marks, highlights
    • The image should not have an extreme aspect ratio (>4)
    • It should not depict the product in a real-life environment or setting. It is merely an image designed to show the user a given product in a high-level of detail from a given angle, or series of angles through multiple product images
    • The whole product should be shown
  4. Packaging
    • If the product has packaging, then show the product, not the packaging
  5. Image Quality and Format
    • The image should be a minimum resolution of 768px
    • The image should be JPG, PNG
    • Max file size of 10MB
    • Surface textures are captured clearly
  6. Lighting and Colors Requirements
    • The lighting of an image shouldn’t be too dark or bright that ends up distorting or hiding the original product’s details
    • Ensure the color of the object is accurate
1x Lifestyle Image OR 2x Lifestyle Images if no Product Image (see dropdown for definition)
Lifestyle Image Definition:
  1. Setting
    • An image that depicts the product in use within a real-life setting, showcasing its practical application and context.
    • This type of image helps to convey how the product fits into the daily life of the consumer, often featuring human interaction or a relatable environment.
  2. Objects in the image
    • There should be no text or graphics on the image (Text or graphics printed on the product is OK).
    • Object could be located not in focal point of an image.
    • Photo can feature multiple instances of a product.
    • No other artefacts present on image such as stripes, compression artefacts, marks, highlights.
    • The image should not have an extreme aspect ratio (>4).
    • The whole product should be shown.
    • Extra additions to the image that wouldn’t be natural.
  3. Image Quality and Format
    • Minimum of 500x500px.
    • JPG or PNG.
  4. Lighting and Color Requirements
    • The lighting of an image shouldn’t be too dark or bright that ends up distorting or hiding the original product’s details.
    • Ensure the color of the object is accurate.

5. Select the product category and subcategory

List of product classifications:

6. Captions in the Product Image

Write two captions to describe the Product in the Product Image.

NOTE: If the product has no product images, annotate one of the lifestyle images the same way you would annotate a product image (using the instructions below). 

Short vs Long Caption Guidance for Product Images

For the Short Description:
  • Emphasize simplicity.
  • Focus only on the key elements. What this object is, if something that comes in different shapes (i.e. perfume bottle), function, material, color
  • 20-25 words maximum, but better to keep it 5-15 words
  • Avoid using too many details for the short description and focus only on the key attributes.
  • Example: A cordless vacuum with a light blue base and silver and gold handle
For the Long Description:
  • 20-250 words.
  • Include all the specific details: the color of the fan, the number of blades, the material of the blades, brand/manufacturer, and any additional features such as the industrial cage around the lights.
  • Do not describe it in a way to sell it; describe it in a way to help a machine learning model understand what it looks like.
  • Only include details that can be gathered from looking at the image; do not include details that would only be learned from the product description.
  • Any positioning should be based on your perspective looking at the image (e.g., left, right).
    • Example: A cordless Dyson vacuum cleaner with a light blue vacuum base and silver and gold handle.
Example 1

Short: A red and gray coffee maker with a glass carafe.

Long: A Coleman coffee maker featuring a bright red top and handle, paired with a sleek gray body that has a perforated metal side. The glass carafe is marked with measurements and sits within a black base. The design includes a clear glass carafe with a red handle, and the entire machine has an industrial, rugged aesthetic typical of outdoor appliances.

Example 2

Short: A red manual air pump with a black hose.

Long: A Coleman Dual Action QuickPump featuring a bright red cylindrical body with a black T-shaped handle at the top. The pump has bold white branding and text on the front, and it is equipped with a flexible black hose coiled at the base, designed for inflating various items.

7. “WILD” vs “PLAIN”

Label the Lifestyle Image as either “In the wild” OR “Plain background”. 

8. Caption to the Lifestyle Image

Add one caption to describe the Lifestyle Image. Only one caption in detail is required. 

Guidelines & Examples for Lifestyle Image Caption (see dropdown)
  1. Identify and describe the main objects and their positions within the image (e.g. centered, top right corner, slightly off center to the left).
  2. Positions i.e. “left” and “right” are based on your perspective looking at the image.
  3. Describe any prominent shapes and colors of these objects. Describe any textures or patterns.
  4. Details of how this product exists and interacts with the rest of the objects in this image.
  5. Describe the background in the image.
  6. Avoid any description speaking to the feeling of the image (e.g. “adding a touch of life to the composition.”) or any other commentary that doesn’t help recreate the image. (You aren’t trying to sell the product, you’re trying to describe how it looks for a machine learning model.)
  7. Pay special attention to ensuring the product image that’s now in the lifestyle image is described in a way it can be reproduced with sufficient detail.

9. Camera Shot

Indicate what type of camera shot was used in the Lifestyle Image only. Provide an Other free form field.

Shot-Type List

10. Bounding Box

Label the Lifestyle Image as either “In the wild” OR “Plain background”. 

1. Make sure that the product is not being cropped within the bounding boxes. It should cover the entire product with little spaces. Doesn’t need to be really small spaces, as long as the product is not too far from the bounding box. 

This is not acceptable as the entire product must be inside the bounding box.

This can be accepted.
Please note that the bounding box may not reach the very edges when setting it up. It’s okay if the corners are not perfectly aligned. 

2. If the image only features the product and no other items visible, bounding boxes is not required. Only required if there are other items in the image aside from the product. 

3. If the product is a set, there should only be 1 bounding box for the entire set. 

Please note that a bounding box is not required for a product set in a Product Image.

 

4. If the product is sold per piece, and the image features duplicates of the same product, please create only one (1) bounding box on either of the duplicated product. 

11. Video

If the product URL includes a video, upload it and provide a caption.
Uploading a video is only required if the video is 10 seconds or less.

1. Use video downloader (e.g. this Chrome Extension), we’ve also found that https://cobalt.tools/?ref=producthunt is good with downloading Youtube videos.

2. Enter the URL of the product page that contains the video 

3. Download the mp4 file and add it to the data set 

4. Provide a caption for the video

5. Check “Does the product page contain videos?” checkbox

For videos that are more than 10 seconds, please just mark the checkbox that there is a video available for the product.

Example video and caption

A young woman with shoulder length, bright red hair with bangs is wearing a pair of gray Bose over ear headphones. She is walking down the street in a green hoodie and is shown from multiple angles wearing the headphones, smiling, and looking around at her surroundings.

*️⃣ Reminders & Best Practices

1. Install the Grammarly Chrome Extension and always use it while annotating to easily avoid spelling and grammar mistakes 

2. IMPORTANT: Only describe what is visible in the image. The goal of the caption is to train the AI model on what it is seeing in the image, not to sell it the product. Do NOT include descriptions such as: 

1. 🚫 ”Adds a stylish touch to any living room” 🚫

2. 🚫 ”Making it perfect for day to night wear” 🚫

3. 🚫 ”Necessary addition to your wardrobe” 🚫

Bounding Boxes

Use 2 point bounding box (Upper Left, Bottom Right)

For Product Image (where there are multiple items) and Lifestyle Image (all lifestyle images), draw Bounding Boxes (multiple) around the product to map where the product is in the image. Aim to keep the boundary of the bounding box as thin as possible (little margin around the product).

 

If no other object is present in the Product image, no bounding box is required.

Please watch this video: ⬇️

Rules / Qualification

What is considered acceptable when identifying images to source:

Example Valid and Invalid Product Images

Product
Images

1
2
3
4
5
6
7

Valid Images

8
9
10
11
12
13
14

Invalid Images

Lifestyle
Images

15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24