OVERVIEW
Search is one of the most complex features of a website. It allows users to explore two different ways of searching results depending on the type of content. The first method is navigation through the search bar and the second method is category browsing. In this project, we will redesign the welcome page of a medical provider finder. We will conduct moderated user testing to select the most effective layout and affirm our design assumptions.
I’m looking for a Dr. Anthony Gold
Known-item search refers to a scenario when a user has a specific search item in mind. Users gravitate towards the search bar in these situations. Examples: book title, doctor name, etc...
I’m looking for a Dentist in my area
Exploratory search refers to query construction and activities carried out by users to familiarize themselves with the domain of their goal. Data investigation, evaluation, and comparison are examples of activities that coincide during the exploratory search. Examples: movie genre, doctor specialty, etc...
EXPLORATION
During the exploration phase, I created a set of wireframes to demonstrate alternatives methods of doing "Find". The layouts vary the visual balance between the two search paradigms. Some examples push "browse" forward and place the search bar to a secondary spot, while others utilize the search bar front and center as the primary tool.
The “search” oriented option includes both methods on the page with equal amounts of real estate; the search bar appears more prominent due to the background image.
The "browse" oriented option has six category tiles placed in the center of the screen. This layout aims to persuade users to select the search category before specifying the search term.
USER TESTING
To test both search paradigms, we created four tasks per user for known-item and exploratory search. For the former, we asked participants to search for their primary care provider and confirm if the doctor is in-network. For the latter, we asked the participant to identify a new allergist in the area.
RESULTS
We confirmed our assumption that users prefer to use search bars when engaging in known-item searches. Users chose search bars over browse ~90% when they had specific search items in mind.
Including light personalization on the welcome page increased the expectation of a personalized search experience.
Steering users towards one specific way of searching resulted in confusion. Browsing does not meet expectations for the known-item search.
Place holders inside the search bar play a significant role in the search context.
Many users tried to input a complex query inside the search bar expecting it to function like Google.
Users tend to refine their search query upon landing on SERP. Future exploration will require filter redesign.
