The effect of search engine interface design on user perception

Abstract

Search engines are programs which enable users to retrieve information from the Web. Interface design is one aspect to consider when designing a search engine. This research paper focuses on how search engine interface design affects the user’s perception of these programs. The objective of this study is to determine which of the three well know search engines is the most popular (based on its interface), as well as to find a link between the search engines’ interface design and the user’s choices. This study utilized a quantitative research method. A questionnaire was used to collect the data which involved 20 participants. Based on interface preference, Google used the preferred search engine interface for most participants, followed by Yahoo! and then Bing. This differs in the last two positions when compared to the figures for core searches done in the USA.