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Information Architecture

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Search Systems

4:23 with Dan Gorgone

In this video, we learn why a Search System is important for you and your users.

New Terms

  • Exact search - when a user searches for the exact content they need by entering the name, ex: “2003 Ford Taurus for sale”
  • Broad search - when a user searches for something using general terms without knowing the exact content they’ll find, ex: “4-door sedans for sale”
  • Filtering - selecting different criteria during a search to narrow the results

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    All right, so we've got organization structures and 0:00
    schemes, labeling systems, and navigation systems. 0:02
    These three iA principles help explain how content gets structured and 0:07
    presented on websites and apps. 0:11
    Each aspect helps establish an architecture that's easy to use and 0:13
    understand. 0:17
    But there are cases where menus and links aren't enough. 0:18
    Think about all the products Amazon offers on its site. 0:22
    You could theoretically navigate from the home page, through their menu system, 0:26
    drill down through subcategories, and maybe find what you need. 0:31
    But the more realistic and 0:36
    faster option is to type in what you want in the search box. 0:37
    Search systems are the fourth and final is IA principle that Morville and 0:42
    Rosenfeld cover in their book. 0:47
    And if you've ever used Google or Siri or Alexa in your life, 0:49
    you know what a search system is for. 0:53
    It's so users can find what they want using their own criteria. 0:55
    Sometimes the search they wanna do is exact, like looking for 1:01
    a specific replacement light bulb for a 2011 Honda CRV. 1:05
    You already know exactly what you want, you just need to find a page so 1:10
    you can order one. 1:15
    Other times, your search may be more broad. 1:16
    You have a general idea of what you want, so 1:19
    you use general terms that get you started. 1:22
    And then you look through results and 1:25
    maybe refine your search to get what you need. 1:27
    Another way that search systems work is through filtering with certain 1:31
    kinds of content. 1:35
    You search by filtering the attributes that are important to you, 1:36
    like the details of an airline flight or the specifications of a car. 1:40
    The more attributes something has, the easier it can be to filter through 1:45
    thousands or millions of pieces of content to find the perfect thing. 1:50
    Search systems can be very powerful. 1:55
    When you've got a vast database full of content or product pages, 1:57
    searches help users find exactly what they want using a process that's much more 2:01
    efficient than trying to drill down through multiple menus, links, or pages. 2:06
    And if your search system provides helpful, dynamic features like 2:11
    auto complete or suggestions, it can make the user experience much more positive. 2:16
    But for people running a site or app, search systems can be challenging. 2:22
    There's a big difference between building a menu and 2:26
    building your own search system. 2:29
    You have to figure out, what parts of the site do you want to let people search? 2:31
    How many fields do you want to include within your search form? 2:36
    Do you wanna let users filter results? 2:40
    And if so, which attributes will you let them filter? 2:43
    And how should results get sorted? 2:47
    By relevance, dates, popularity or some other variable? 2:49
    Now you could skip the whole development headache and 2:55
    try to use a simpler custom search solution from Google on your site, but 2:57
    the question still remains, should you use a search system or not? 3:02
    Many smaller websites would probably say no. 3:07
    They can get along fine without one because they don't have 3:10
    an extensive amount of content. 3:13
    And their content format is pretty simple. 3:15
    However, if you're responsible for providing access to information that's 3:18
    very complex, that has many attributes that help define it, or 3:22
    you simply have a ton of content, search systems can save the day. 3:27
    But don't use search as a crutch or as a replacement for 3:31
    menus and proper content organization. 3:34
    You need a balance. 3:37
    You need to consider that not all users are the same. 3:39
    Some will rely on menus and 3:42
    links to show them the way, while others might head straight for the search box. 3:44
    Consider the experience for your users and their goals. 3:51
    Why did they come to your site? 3:56
    What are they trying to do? 3:57
    What are they looking for? 3:59
    And what would be the easiest way for them to find it? 4:00
    Ultimately, the answer may be a series of menus and 4:04
    links, or it could be through a search system, or both. 4:07
    Later in this course, we'll learn more about using research and 4:13
    testing techniques to help you figure out what's best for your users and your site. 4:16

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