Hi, We came to this solution because we needed to accommodate existing users that are already very comfortable with the query syntax, so a free form search field was required... and since we were already doing that, and the search syntax is more powerful than any form could be, i decided that we should at least try to teach people about the query syntax.
if a user doesn't want to learn it they can just use the form and hit submit, but this way there is the opportunity for power users to really get into searching. we are also struggling with a way to update the form based on a typed query, especially to allow people to edit a query after submitting it. i have some ideas, but it's in early stages. matt On Fri, Aug 22, 2008 at 10:15 AM, Martin <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Hi Matt, > > I'm designing something very similar right now, and the design I cam up with > is very similar to yours :) > > So I'm curious how you came to the solution whereby the user can enter their > own query or add to the one generated from the form (rather than making it > read-only, like Google advanced search). > > I wrestled with the problem that the contents of the text box don't always > match what appears in the form. And with what should happen when the user > does something in the form after typing something in the text box. (We > decided that it was too complicated and that making it read-only was a > better bet. But that doing it this way enables the user to take what they > learned from this and use it in the regular, non-advanced search.) > > I'm interested to hear your thoughts. > > Cheers, > > -- > Martin Polley > Technical writer, interaction designer > +972 52 3864280 > <http://capcloud.com/> > > > > On Fri, Aug 22, 2008 at 4:07 PM, Matthew Nish-Lapidus <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > wrote: >> >> Hi Larry, >> >> I just designed something exactly like this.. it's our first version >> and it's not perfect, but average users seem to get it well enough and >> it will only get better as we continue to revise... >> >> Here's the URL for a live implementation: >> http://opl.bibliocommons.com/search >> >> We approached it from the perspective of teaching people a little >> about the boolean search syntax.. so instead of having a free form >> search field and a separate form for advanced search we use the form >> to construct a search string. Anybody that already knows the query >> syntax can just type their own search into the text box. >> >> Another example is the iTunes or Spotlight (on Mac) query builder. >> You can make some pretty complex conditional queries using nothing but >> a form. >> >> Good Luck! >> >> Matt. >> >> On Wed, Aug 20, 2008 at 11:15 AM, Larry King <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >> > Anybody out there ever built a interface that helps users build an >> > advanced >> > search query? I am currently working on a site that has over 5 million >> > articles, and search is the primary way users find this information. A >> > lot >> > of these users are librarians and they know how to do complex Boolean >> > searches on various meta data fields. Currently, the search engine is >> > optimized for this type of user, which is completely ignoring the user >> > who >> > does not know how to construct these complex queries. They have built a >> .... >> > >> > Any body designed something like this, or could point me to some >> > examples of >> > such an interface? >> > >> > Thanks. >> > >> > -- >> > Larry King >> >> -- >> Matt Nish-Lapidus >> work: [EMAIL PROTECTED] / www.bibliocommons.com >> -- >> personal: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >> twitter: emenel >> ________________________________________________________________ >> Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! >> To post to this list ....... [EMAIL PROTECTED] >> Unsubscribe ................ http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe >> List Guidelines ............ http://www.ixda.org/guidelines >> List Help .................. http://www.ixda.org/help > > > > -- Matt Nish-Lapidus work: [EMAIL PROTECTED] / www.bibliocommons.com -- personal: [EMAIL PROTECTED] twitter: emenel ________________________________________________________________ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ....... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe ................ http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines ............ http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .................. http://www.ixda.org/help
