- rjclark1
In order to maintain consistency with accessibility and usability across all ASU Websites, we would like to gather feedback from ASU Website users. As Websites rapidly evolve, users become accustomed to changing Website conventions. So, here’s the question. Have search conventions changed since the latest data on this subject was published?
Please take a moment and consider this: Assume you are on a Web page that provides for a scoped (or subsite) search, such as the ASU Graduate College Website (it does not necessarily have to be the homepage). You may have landed on this Web page directly (by typing the URL into your browser) or by clicking on a link from the results of search engine (such as Yahoo, MSN, Google, or even an ASU Web search). If you were to perform a search from this page, what would you, as a typical user, expect as this Web page’s default search setting, A or B? (Note the selected radio button for the search scope)
***************************** A *****************************
***************************** B *****************************
On a complete knee-jerk reaction user level, I'd expect the scoped search to default to choice "A" - the subsite on which I'm currently browsing. Here's why:
As a user, seeing the scoped search makes me think that there's some kind of intelligence in this page that's aware of the fact that I'm visting it, that my main focus is the Graduate College site, and, lastly, that I may eventually change my focus to the larger ASU Website.
Ironically, it's the presence of the radio buttons that makes the subsite feel slightly disconnected from the institution.
I'd expect A because of the logo. If the logo said ASU only (even if it was subsite homepage), I'd expect B (A would make me pause, particularly if coming from offsite).
If I landed there, I would assume that the scope of my search would be easier to find within the site (in this case Graduate college) as Chris mentioned. If I don't find the search there, I would expand the search. My question is, should the ASU always be first, and have the default button land on, in this case Graduate college even though it's the second thing listed (sort of like B only instead of ASU it would be Graduate College). Perhaps this will feel more of a connection that ASU is the parent.
You make an interesting point about the order of the radio buttons. Does anyone else care to put in their two cents?
Any thoughts on leaving it blank without any radial buttons and letting it default to the local site and after the results it could be expanded to ASU?
I tend to agree with the previous posters. To me it makes the most sense to default to searching the current site (in this case, the Graduate College). As for the order of the options, I'd leave them as-is. Reading left-to-right (as is the norm here) I feel the current/local scope should be listed first, with other/broader scopes listed thereafter.
I say A because of the endorsed logo. I'm in the Graduate College site, so my search should be in the Graduate College site.
~Deb
all the way.
Intuitively, I would think most users would intend to search locally. Since a fair number will overlook the radio buttons, we should default to local search.
I would expect a local search.
I would expect A for a local search for all the reasons losted above.
I agree with the majority so far. I wouldn't want the search to revert to all of ASU until I choose to switch from the subunit.
Local search.
Don't know what else to say..
I am okay with the order of the radio buttons too. ASU being second indicates that in order to expand my search, I can go a step higher and click the second button.
I would expect a local search of the subsite I'm on to be the default
What do we do if there is no 'local' search on a site. Are we as a university going to create/manage local collections for search on all subsites? I also think that we need to improve the returned results on local searches to indicate to the use what this search is on (Search results for the domain graduate.asu.edu), and provide a eash way to "Search the entire asu.edu domain".
Another thought: radio buttons; what is it going to look like when the subsite has a long name (which most due)?
I do expect to be searching the "local" area when I type in a search term. I would also like to see "search gradaute college" in light grey text in the textbox to help reinforce where I'm about to search on.
Would something a little less intrusive, like a drop-down work?
So wanted to throw out B, but far and away most people using the search on the site are searching for local content. Having the radio button for ASU really just provides convienence and also conveys the sites local data is a subset of the ASU whole.
gt @ biodesign institute
I think the usability standard is option A, because usually B is WWW search. However, in the case of an ASU site, I would not even want to see an option A. And I certainly wouldn't want A to be the default. ASU (and certainly most departments at ASU) is not that big that the Google appliance can't find what I'm looking for, if it's there. Trust me, their aren't going to be enough result data that the GA will need you to tell it to only search a department.
The only reason to use an option A is if you want to discourage the user from searching outside your department, you know what I mean. Unless you know better than me what I'm searching for then don't hassle it.
cheers,
Cameron