Faceted search offers tremendous potential for transforming the search experience. It provides a flexible framework by which users can satisfy a wide variety of information needs, ranging from simple fact retrieval to complex exploratory search and discovery-oriented problem solving. But how do we extend such a framework to accommodate not just dozens of facet values,… Continue reading Designing Faceted Search: Getting the basics right (pt 3)
Category: Feature Article
The Information Needs of Mobile Searchers
We live in a post-desktop era. In the UK alone, 45% of Internet users used a mobile phone to connect to the Internet in 2011 [7], and Morgan Stanley predicts that by 2014 there will be more mobile Internet users than desktop Internet users globally [6]. Not only are more people connecting with mobile devices,… Continue reading The Information Needs of Mobile Searchers
Designing Faceted Search: Getting the basics right (pt 2)
1. Introduction In our last post we looked at some of the fundamental issues in designing faceted search such as layout (e.g. where to place the faceted navigation menus) and state (e.g. whether they should be open or closed by default). In this post, we continue the mini-series with a review of the various formats… Continue reading Designing Faceted Search: Getting the basics right (pt 2)
The Three Circles of Collaborative Search
Search often appears personal, introspective, and private; an activity of the individual in isolation. In fact, most researchers depict search as a single-user activity. Yet a 2008 survey found that over half of respondents self-reported having co-operated with other people to search the web, while an impressive 97.1% went on to indicate at least one… Continue reading The Three Circles of Collaborative Search
Delivering Successful Search Within the Enterprise
There is a strange phenomenon surrounding enterprise search. Unlike the practical factors of managing enterprise content, search is shrouded by the expectations of magic. It is the only component of a document management or content management platform that is expected to work flawlessly out of the box, just point-and-index for perfect search results every time.… Continue reading Delivering Successful Search Within the Enterprise
Designing Faceted Search: Getting the basics right (Pt 1)
Faceted search offers tremendous potential for transforming search experiences. It provides a flexible framework by which users can satisfy a wide variety of information needs, ranging from simple lookup and fact retrieval to complex exploratory search and discovery scenarios. In this article, we begin with a look at some of the fundamental design considerations such… Continue reading Designing Faceted Search: Getting the basics right (Pt 1)