browse and search

new HFI article —  The answer you're searching for... is "Browse" — looks at various research on how users browse, when they turn to search and the success rates for both.

Dr. Eric Shaffer's take on the research findings:

In mainframe systems we often said "if the user went often to help, it indicated a bad design." This did not mean dropping help. But we concentrated first on fixing the menu structures and screen interaction. It seems that has not changed.

Today when users often go to search, it is an indication of navigational problems. Certainly there are a few sites where search is the obvious primary navigation (e.g., a book selling site where users know the title). But for most sites the first design objective is to get the navigation right. Make sure it fits the user's mental model. Make sure the wording gives clear scent. Make sure the top level structure shows lots of the choices right there (is "broad"). Luckily we have lots of methods to do this quickly and reliably. Then this research certainly says, in addition, DO provide search.