The ability to search should be as persistent, immediate, and obvious as the
main menu.
2. The search input should be contextual to the navigation: Many sites (like the one in
Figure 11-3) place the input field in the upper-right corner. This is not because
some fancy book like this one told them to do that, but rather because it is sitting
a breath away from the main navigation, so users can see all of their options in one
glance. Moving the search away from the primary menu will decrease its use
because people will simply overlook it.
Most sites only have simple search, and they generally follow these two guidelines very
well. Advanced search functions are rare, and should only be used if absolutely necessary??”
when the content is so vast and deep that adjusting keywords fails to uncover the desired
content. In that case, a basic search form is complemented by a small link to a separate
page for advanced searches, as shown in Figure 11-5.
Advanced search pages
Some companies publish immense amounts of content on their website, either from sheer
size (like IBM), from depth in their expertise (like Xilinx, in Figure 11-5), or a combination
of both (like Microsoft).
Pages:
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