In Android , search is in the app bar at the top of the screen .
In iOS , search can have an accompanying scope bar , which enables the users to quickly select the scope of their search , i . e . with clearly defined criteria or category ( although , this is no substitute for good information architecture and UX design ).
Auto-suggestions are used ( to reduce data entry and provide immediate results )
Provide auto-suggestions ( or , predictive text results ) as quickly as possible , such as after third character is entered , to provide immediate value and reduce their data entry effort ( and mistakes they could make on small keyboards with “ fat fingers ”). ( See image 13 )
The first few search results are highly relevant ( mobile real-estate is limited !)
With Smartphone screens being so limited in the number of results they can display without the need for scrolling , ensure the user sees a set of - e . g . 3 to 5 - highly relevant results by default ; and only after that do they need to scroll . As an ongoing activity , you should regularly check search result quality for top in-app search queries and adjust ranking if needed
Provide alternatives when there are no matching search results ( no dead-ends )
Avoid giving users dead-ends in their experience when their search produces no matching results . Give them options , e . g . in flight booking suggest alternative airports , in car hire suggest alternative fleet , in retail suggest alternative products or categories . To assist the user further you could employ an ‘ intelligent search ’ feature that covers singular , plurals and misspellings , etc .
User can easily sort search results
Provide the user with sorting options that are relevant for their search . Do not hide the sort feature within the filtering feature - they are distinct tasks .
User can easily filter search results image 13
Provide the user with filtering options that are relevant for their search , and enable them to select
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