Web Site Searching and the User Experience
BayCHI, January 1999
Avi Rappoport, Search Tools Consulting

The Search Form Interface

• The simple search field - just a field and a search button

  • Example:

More Search Options

• Make sure it's on the home page -- that's the standard now

• You could add it to the navigation interface on all pages

• Search Forms

  • Make sure they contain the site look and feel, including navigation elements

    • National Gallery of Art

    • Sonic Youth Discography

  • Design for the site audience (kids vs. librarians vs. car-buyers)

    • KidZone Search

  • Express possibilities of the search

    • Boolean AND and OR at the least

      • ORB (Online Reference Book for Medieval Studies)
        This page has options, but is missing site look and feel, navigation, even a descriptive title!

    • Proximity and phrase searching are very useful

      • Neuroscience for Kids

      • American Verse Project

    • Date-range searching for time-sensitive info

      • ZDNet Advanced Search - both a period (last month) and specific date ranges can be specified

    • Kind of data (e.g. reviews, discussion, press releases)

      • WebReview - many, many options

    • Limit search to specified zones (HR vs. R & D vs. Marketing)

      • Microsoft

      • CNet's Builder.com

    • Data Fields (meta data such as author)

• CDNow - artist, title, song title, record label, soundtrack

• Medieval Review - fulltext, author, title

• Tips and help - on the search page

• ZDNet Simple Search

• Balance Features and Simplicity

  • Simple vs. Advanced Search

  • Don't add everything just because you can

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