2 research outputs found
The Evolution of Web Search User Interfaces -- An Archaeological Analysis of Google Search Engine Result Pages
Web search engines have marked everyone's life by transforming how one
searches and accesses information. Search engines give special attention to the
user interface, especially search engine result pages (SERP). The well-known
''10 blue links'' list has evolved into richer interfaces, often personalized
to the search query, the user, and other aspects. More than 20 years later, the
literature has not adequately portrayed this development. We present a study on
the evolution of SERP interfaces during the last two decades using Google
Search as a case study. We used the most searched queries by year to extract a
sample of SERP from the Internet Archive. Using this dataset, we analyzed how
SERP evolved in content, layout, design (e.g., color scheme, text styling,
graphics), navigation, and file size. We have also analyzed the user interface
design patterns associated with SERP elements. We found that SERP are becoming
more diverse in terms of elements, aggregating content from different verticals
and including more features that provide direct answers. This systematic
analysis portrays evolution trends in search engine user interfaces and, more
generally, web design. We expect this work will trigger other, more specific
studies that can take advantage of our dataset.Comment: 10 pages, Full Paper of CHIIR 202