Interaction
Interaction refers to the ways that the site responds to visitor behavior. This may include dynamic effects such as page elements that change when hovered over, along with the behavior of search or any other part of a site involving user input.
Advanced Search Methods
Like the AIR beta website, our design includes global site search functionality, accessed by the search box found on the top-right corner of every page. However, several sections of the website include specialized search filters to support browsing of its content. In addition to the common fields by which one can search (i.e., keyword and focus area), each section also includes relevant filters specific to its content.
Glanceable and Easily Manipulated Search Results
Our design utilizes a single search algorithm and search results page design for the sake of consistency. Search results for the global search in the top right and the various flavors of advanced search all use the same information and visual design. Each search result includes a badge indicating the type of content, a title, and some primary text, such as a report summary. Where appropriate, search results also include a publication date, an image, and secondary text such as author names.
Tab Usage and Encouraging Exploration
The design takes advantage of the frequently used web design pattern of tabbed navigation in several places, using several styles. The prevalence of tabbed navigation online, along with its relation to real-world interactions, makes it an ideal choice for the primary navigation. The main, persistent site navigation uses tabs combined with dropdown menus. On the homepage, a tabbed pane shows information about each different focus area based on the tab the visitor hovers over. Lastly, in the introductory pages for "Reports & Products" and "People," a set of tabs displays featured reports, products or employees.
In the case of these hover-based tabs, the tabbed panes function to allow visitors to rapidly explore more content than can be displayed together on the page, switching between items with a slight mouse movement. The consistent use of tabs to house featured items throughout the website (i.e., featured people, reports, and products) also supports a visual hierarchy, where the tabbed sections delineate portions of especially compelling content.
Cross-Linked Content
The final design heavily cross-links content within the site. Each area of research and each individual piece of content includes links to related content and areas of research. Each employee page also includes related content and research areas. This encourages visitors to linger and entices them to engage in more exploratory browsing, as each page contains several items that may be of interest to the visitor. The beta site includes related content; the new design expands on this and adds information about people into the mix.
Advanced search filters appear throughout our design, inviting visitors to browse AIR's wealth of research.
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