The information needs users have from a system can vary a lot from user to user, this causes different information searching behavior from one another. There are differences in the behavior caused by the user’s goals and motivation, but also the knowledge regarding a specific subject, as well as the technological expertise the user has, their context or the gadget they are using at the moment.
Exploratory vs. Targeted Search: Adapting to User Intent
Searching for something we know exists inside a particular system requires a different behavior than exploring a subject unfamiliar to us. Let’s say you are exploring all the different colors and designs of a particular product vs searching for a specific item, or just browsing on the sales section of your preferred ecommerce site while you wait in line to board your plane.
When we think about the search experience, we might think everything is very straightforward. The user goes to the search box > types a query > something happens in the “cloud” > he gets the right answer > he is happy. Of course, things are not as simple as that. This way of thinking about search is very dangerous and simplistic for designers and programmers to have, and can cause serious problems in the User Experience.
Designing for an Enhanced Search Experience
We are all familiar with great search experiences, but we do not think about them that much. We go to our favorite ecommerce website and search for “winter jackets for men”, and get hundreds, if not thousands of results back. We “learn” from the results we get in this first try, that the store carries a particular brand that we like or the specific style we were looking for but couldn’t think of the exact term, let’s say “parka”. So we refine our query once more and type “winter jackets parka for men”. We go further and look for filters for brands, sizes, price, user rating, etc.
Using Filters and Suggestions to Improve User Search Satisfaction
This exploratory search would be frustrating or unsuccessful if the right filters are not built in. On the other hand, the experience could be even better if for example there was a curated list of the best winter jackets for men on the market done by an editorial team of experts, or if the personalized suggestions made based on your browsing history by the site’s algorithm are on target.
The Impact of Specific and Exhaustive Searches on User Experience
There are other types of search, for example, let’s say you are searching for a specific item, a pair of jeans “Levi’s 514 stretch 38 x 32”. Actually, depending on the search system or the situation, you might even know the item number you are looking for and type it, say for example the build manual for a specific LEGO set, or the manual for an IKEA furniture piece.
And then, there is the exhaustive search. Let’s say you want to go through every single item on sale on an ecommerce platform, that could mean a couple of items, but it could be hundreds of them; it could mean many search sessions, depending on the subject or the goal of the user, imagine you are searching through scientific papers for your master thesis, you might spend a lot of time doing that.
Designing Better Search Systems for Different Search Types
Of course, this is just an introduction to this subject, and there are many things to consider from a design point of view, as well as a more technical standpoint. I will cover other elements in the design of the search experience in a follow up.
In the meantime, for those interested in Information Architecture (IA), I will recommend you the “polar bear bible of IA”—a must-read if you’re working on an e-commerce site or complex SaaS platform dealing with information.