Designing the Search Experience

Part 2. Design Solutions

In theory, theory and pra ctice are the same. In practice, they are not.

— Albert Einstein (1879–1955)

In Part 1, we reviewed the search process through an analytical lens, exploring the models, frameworks, and principles that underpin human information seeking behavior. In Part 2, we switch our focus from the conceptual to the practical. It’s time to apply those concepts in the form of practical design solutions.

We begin where many searches do: with the query. Chapter 5 explores the process of query formulation, examining the search box in all its forms, along with three types of as-you-type suggestions: autocomplete, autosuggest, and instant results. We also examine how query corrections, spelling suggestions, and ...