BEST PRACTICES IN SEARCH USER INTERFACE DESIGN

The Internet has become a powerful tool for information search and ecommerce. Millions of people use the World Wide Web on a regular basis and the number is increasing rapidly. For many common tasks, users first need to locate a Web site(s) containing needed information from among the estimated 4 trillion existing web pages. The most common method used to search for information is the search engine. However, even sophisticated users often have difficulty navigating through the complexity of search engine interfaces. Designing more effective and efficient search engines is contingent upon a significant improvement in the search user interface. PANEL SUMMARY There are several purposes for using the Web, including publishing information in an electronic format, retrieving information, conducting and facilitating commerce, and others. The search engine has become the most common method used to search for information over the Internet, with over half of web users using Internet search engines each week and sixty percent searching for over an hour each week. In one study, only 18 % of users reported that they could fmd what they are looking for on the web. Also, 67 % said they were frustrated when searching. In Sullivan (2000), 2 1 % of the respondents reported being able to find what they were looking for every time, and only 60 % reported finding the relevant information most of the time. Aurelio (2000) reported that users need better search interface usability. In that study, users specifically requested help identifying command rules, narrowing searches, and categorizing results. Clearly, work is needed to improve search engine design. The human factors contributions to search engine design can be divided into at least three categories: input design, output design, and support for iterative search