search functionality
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- meffid
I'm on contract currently designing a site with a complicated search and filtering options, it's an auction style site with a ton of options and sort by categories.
I've worked on a few like this before for recruitment sites and they've been at the clients discretion and have always turned out ugly.
Anyone have any ideas, examples, articles or experience with complicated searches and options?
We're trying to make this one as simple as possible so divided into quick filter which includes a sort drop down and a link to advanced search.. it ain't happening.
- heavyt0
There was an interesting chapter in the new R. Hoekeman book about this. What it came down to was a lot like the mail filters in Thunderbird where you would choose one additonal search criteria at a time.
ie. enter a string, click +, choose a category, click +, choose a sub-category, etc.
might be something to think about.
- meffid0
bump.
- kalkal0
Is this just secretly one of the QBN admins finally trying to fix the filter?
- meffid0
No. The filter on here looks great and like it should work, but always displays the incorrect thing I'm actually looking for forcing me to find it by memory on who posted it and when, then looking up their username.
The search I'm doing is twice as many categories, it essentially would replace the search on ebay but with less listings, any ideas and input here is much needed, 3 of us are at an end with 7 variations so far.
- studderine0
hire an interaction designer to sort through the mess.
- meffid0
It's a quick project and was hoping someone on here had an insight.
- poolio0
The way I see is you can either a) give the user lots of options at the search screen (select different categories, fields etc to search in) or b) just have a simple text search and then filter the results.
I'd suggest b) if you're going for a 'simple' search, and add text prediction to the search field, and then then use filters to sort through the results (filters based on the keyword being search would be good).
Can't think of any examples of this method currently.. sorry.
Maybe use javascript/ajax to make it flow nicely inline when filtering results... 3 or 6 months after you've launched the site, come back to it and look at search trends and how your can better tweak it to deliver better results. Hope that helps.