Web Anatomy: Interaction Design Frameworks that Work

4. Search

Google is arguably the most trusted name in the world when it comes to search tools. In fact, users are frequently put off when an on-site search engine doesn’t look or work like Google, and as a result question whether it can be relied upon for high-quality results. Without knowing exactly what’s so effective about the search master, most people simply trust it. For many, it’s a fact of life—puppies are cute, bugs are icky, and Google just works.

But how did Google get to be so good, and how can we apply lessons from Google to on-site search to generate effective results and commonsense interactions? What elements do we need for a good search engine interface and how do they need to work?

At first glance, the search framework might ...