UX Surveys

Feb 2023 - UsabilityHub preference test comparing Search Results (field boosting)

METHODS

• tested internally multiple different ways of weighting fields, including different combinations (e.g. all fields weighted equally, or title^5, description^5, subject^5, as well as combinations like title^5description^4subject^2 etc.) - done by Julie & Dasha

• we each did this many times, & a pattern emerged where title^5 or title^5description^5 seemed strongest

• from this, we made the preference test, with 3 simple questions to ensure we got a decent number of responses (UsabilityHub requires you to keep a test under 5minutes)

• the results from our colleagues tell us what results they think look best, and also what people expect to see in their search results in general, which is helpful too

• we now plan to expand our audience, and will use a new test with the same questions, so we can compare the results

RESULTS