diff --git a/client/html/index.html b/client/html/index.html
index 9973efd..ada94b3 100644
--- a/client/html/index.html
+++ b/client/html/index.html
@@ -84,11 +84,11 @@
             </div>
 
             <!-- query output -->
-            <div id="output" style="display: none;">
+            <div>
                 <!-- semantic tweaker -->
                 <div class="panel panel-default">
                     <div class="panel-heading">
-                        <big>Semantic tweaks to: <span id="query"></span></big>
+                        <big>Semantic tweaker</big>
                         <div class="btn-group pull-right">
                             <button class="btn btn-xs btn-success" data-toggle="modal" data-target="#learnDialog">Learn</button>
                             <button class="btn btn-xs btn-default" data-toggle="modal" data-target="#optionsDialog">Options</button>
diff --git a/client/scripts/application.js b/client/scripts/application.js
index c80ead6..8cac819 100644
--- a/client/scripts/application.js
+++ b/client/scripts/application.js
@@ -27,26 +27,17 @@
 (function(hscd) {
     'use strict';
 
-    var ctx = {
-        log: []
-    };
+    var _custom = '[custom]';
+    var _ctx    = { log: [] };
 
     function onAdjust(name, value) {
-        ctx.features[name] = value;
+        _ctx.query.features[name] = value;
+        _ctx.grapher.enable(false);
 
-        var query = {
-            features:   ctx.features,
-            range:      ctx.range,
-            minScore:   ctx.minScore,
-            hintSteps:  ctx.hintSteps,
-            maxResults: ctx.maxResults
-        };
-
-        ctx.grapher.enable(false);
-        $.getJSON('/search', query, function(results) {
+        $.getJSON('/search', _ctx.query, function(results) {
             saveSnapshot(results);
             outputSnapshot(results);
-            ctx.grapher.enable(true);
+            _ctx.grapher.enable(true);
         });
     }
 
@@ -54,7 +45,7 @@
         $('#history').on('slideStop', onSelectSnapshot);
         $('#history').slider({
             formatter: function(value) {
-                var delta = ctx.log.length - (value + 1);
+                var delta = _ctx.log.length - (value + 1);
                 switch (delta) {
                     case 0:
                         return 'Most recent query';
@@ -76,57 +67,66 @@
             $('#learnKeyword').prop('disabled', !$(this).val());
         });
 
-        $.getJSON('/get_keywords', function(keywords) {
-            ctx.keywords = keywords;
-            for (var keyword in keywords) {
+        $.getJSON('/get_parameters', function(parameters) {
+            _ctx.parameters = parameters;
+            for (var keyword in parameters.keywords) {
                 $('#keywordsToSearch').append($('<option></option>', { value: keyword, text: keyword }));
             }
 
-            onSearch();
+            search();
         });
     }
 
-    function onSearch() {
-        var keyword = $('#keywordsToSearch').val();
-        var query = {
-            features:   ctx.keywords[keyword],
+    function search(keyword) {
+        var features = {};
+        if (typeof(keyword) == 'undefined') {
+            for (var i = 0, count = _ctx.parameters.features.length; i < count; ++i) {
+                features[_ctx.parameters.features[i]] = 0.0;
+            }
+        }
+        else {
+            features = _ctx.parameters.keywords[keyword];
+        }
+
+        _ctx.query = {
+            features:   features,
             range:      { min: -1.0, max: 1.0 },
             minScore:   parseFloat($('#minScore').val()),
             hintSteps:  parseInt($('#hintSteps').val()),
             maxResults: parseInt($('#maxResults').val())
         };
 
-        $.getJSON('/search', query, function(results) {
-            ctx.features   = query.features;
-            ctx.range      = query.range;
-            ctx.minScore   = query.minScore;
-            ctx.hintSteps  = query.hintSteps;
-            ctx.maxResults = query.maxResults;
-
-            ctx.grapher = new grapher.Grapher({
+        if (!_.has(_ctx, 'grapher')) {
+            _ctx.grapher = new grapher.Grapher({
                 canvas:           new Snap('#svg'),
-                steps:            ctx.hintSteps,
-                range:            ctx.range,
+                steps:            _ctx.query.hintSteps,
+                range:            _ctx.query.range,
                 onValueChanged:   onAdjust,
                 useLocalScale:    true,
                 useRelativeScale: true
             });
-            ctx.grapher.setColumns(results.columns);
-
-            saveSnapshot(results);
-            outputMatches(results.items, results.count);
 
             $('#useLocalScale').click(function() {
                 var useLocalScale = $('#useLocalScale').is(':checked');
-                ctx.grapher.setUseLocalScale(useLocalScale);
+                _ctx.grapher.setUseLocalScale(useLocalScale);
             });
             $('#useRelativeScale').click(function() {
                 var useRelativeScale = $('#useRelativeScale').is(':checked');
-                ctx.grapher.setUseRelativeScale(useRelativeScale);
+                _ctx.grapher.setUseRelativeScale(useRelativeScale);
             });
 
-            $('#query').text(keyword);
-            $('#output').fadeIn();
+            var columns = {};
+            for (var feature in _ctx.query.features) {
+                columns[feature] = { value: 0.0, hints: [] };
+            }
+
+            _ctx.grapher.setColumns(columns);
+        }
+
+        $.getJSON('/search', _ctx.query, function(results) {
+            _ctx.grapher.setColumns(results.columns);
+            saveSnapshot(results);
+            outputMatches(results.items, results.count);
         });
     }
 
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@
         $('#learnError').slideUp(function() {
             var query = {
                 keyword: $('#keywordToLearn').val(),
-                params:  ctx.features
+                params:  _ctx.query.features
             };
 
             $.getJSON('/add_keyword', query, function(results) {
@@ -153,13 +153,13 @@
 
     function onSelectSnapshot() {
         var index = $('#history').slider('getValue');
-        outputSnapshot(ctx.log[index]);
+        outputSnapshot(_ctx.log[index]);
     }
 
     function saveSnapshot(results) {
-        ctx.log.push(results);
+        _ctx.log.push(results);
 
-        var count = ctx.log.length;
+        var count = _ctx.log.length;
         var history = $('#history').slider();
         history.slider('setAttribute', 'max', count - 1);
         history.slider('setValue', count - 1);
@@ -171,10 +171,10 @@
 
     function outputSnapshot(results) {
         for (var name in results.columns) {
-            ctx.features[name] = results.columns[name].value;
+            _ctx.query.features[name] = results.columns[name].value;
         }
 
-        ctx.grapher.setColumns(results.columns);
+        _ctx.grapher.setColumns(results.columns);
         outputMatches(results.items, results.count);
     }
 
diff --git a/client/scripts/grapher.js b/client/scripts/grapher.js
index 6ee9b4e..401eee1 100644
--- a/client/scripts/grapher.js
+++ b/client/scripts/grapher.js
@@ -152,10 +152,8 @@
         }
 
         function updateShapes() {
-            var gradient = _canvas.gradient(decimateHints());
-            _elements.density.attr({
-                fill: gradient
-            });
+            var fill = _data.hints.length === 0 ? _backdropColor : _canvas.gradient(decimateHints());
+            _elements.density.attr({ fill: fill });
 
             var range = computeIndicatorRange();
             _elements.indicator.attr({
diff --git a/server/search.js b/server/search.js
index 998c84a..2c6a310 100644
--- a/server/search.js
+++ b/server/search.js
@@ -42,47 +42,6 @@ function innerProduct(values1, values2) {
     return result;
 }
 
-function scale(values, factor) {
-    var result = {};
-
-    for (var feature in values) {
-        result[feature] = values[feature] * factor;
-    }
-
-    return result;
-}
-
-function add(values1, values2) {
-    var result = {};
-
-    for (var feature in values1) {
-        result[feature] = values1[feature] + (values2[feature] || 0.0);
-    }
-
-    return result;
-}
-
-function combine(dict, params) {
-    var result = {};
-
-    for (var paramIter in params) {
-        var values = scale(dict[paramIter], params[paramIter]);
-        result = add(values, result);
-    }
-
-    var max = _.max(_.values(result), function(value) {
-        return Math.abs(value);
-    });
-
-    if (max > 0.0) {
-        for (var resultIter in result) {
-            result[resultIter] = result[resultIter] / max;
-        }
-    }
-
-    return result;
-}
-
 function walkMatches(data, features, minScore, callback) {
     for (var i = 0, count = data.records.length; i < count; ++i) {
         var record = data.records[i];
@@ -174,32 +133,32 @@ function loadDb(params) {
 }
 
 function addKeyword(query, callback) {
-    var keyword = (query.keyword || '').toLowerCase();
-    if (!/^[a-zA-Z0-9]+$/.test(keyword)) {
-        callback({
-            keyword: keyword,
-            success: false
-        });
-    }
-    else {
-        getKeywords(function(keywords) {
-            var features = combine(keywords, query.params);
-            var values = [
-                keyword,
-                features.food || 0.0,
-                features.service || 0.0,
-                features.value || 0.0,
-                features.atmosphere || 0.0
-            ];
+    // var keyword = (query.keyword || '').toLowerCase();
+    // if (!/^[a-zA-Z0-9]+$/.test(keyword)) {
+    //     callback({
+    //         keyword: keyword,
+    //         success: false
+    //     });
+    // }
+    // else {
+    //     getKeywords(function(keywords) {
+    //         var features = combine(keywords, query.params);
+    //         var values = [
+    //             keyword,
+    //             features.food || 0.0,
+    //             features.service || 0.0,
+    //             features.value || 0.0,
+    //             features.atmosphere || 0.0
+    //         ];
 
-            pool.query('INSERT INTO keywords VALUES(?, ?, ?, ?, ?)', values, function(err) {
-                callback({
-                    keyword: keyword,
-                    success: err === null
-                });
-            });
-        });
-    }
+    //         pool.query('INSERT INTO keywords VALUES(?, ?, ?, ?, ?)', values, function(err) {
+    //             callback({
+    //                 keyword: keyword,
+    //                 success: err === null
+    //             });
+    //         });
+    //     });
+    // }
 }
 
 function removeKeyword(query, callback) {
@@ -267,6 +226,15 @@ function getData(callback) {
     });
 }
 
+function getParameters(callback) {
+    getKeywords(function(keywords) {
+        callback({
+            keywords: keywords,
+            features: [ 'food', 'service', 'atmosphere', 'value' ]
+        });
+    });
+}
+
 function execQuery(query, callback) {
     getData(function(data) {
         var searchResults = findRecords(
@@ -306,6 +274,6 @@ module.exports = {
     'loadDb':        loadDb,
     'addKeyword':    addKeyword,
     'removeKeyword': removeKeyword,
-    'getKeywords':   getKeywords,
+    'getParameters': getParameters,
     'execQuery':     execQuery
 };
diff --git a/server/server.js b/server/server.js
index d66cd28..195a00a 100755
--- a/server/server.js
+++ b/server/server.js
@@ -43,9 +43,9 @@ function main(staticFiles, port) {
         user:            'hscd'
     });
 
-    app.use('/get_keywords', function(req, res) {
-        search.getKeywords(function(keywords) {
-            res.json(keywords);
+    app.use('/get_parameters', function(req, res) {
+        search.getParameters(function(parameters) {
+            res.json(parameters);
         });
     });
 
@@ -55,12 +55,6 @@ function main(staticFiles, port) {
         });
     });
 
-    app.use('/remove_keyword', function(req, res) {
-        search.removeKeyword(req.query, function(results) {
-            res.json(results);
-        });
-    });
-
     app.use('/search', function(req, res) {
         search.execQuery(req.query, function(results) {
             res.json(results);