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I have a problem...

I am creating a site of Meteorology and I have the need to place as the main search bar (so top right), the bar through which a user can input the location and search for the location's weather.

At the same time on my site I have so many more (a kind of encyclopedia), then I would insert another bar where the user can search for what they want (kind inquire what are the hurricanes and so on) ...

But what should I do? there are guides for this case? where to put the two bars? users get confused? I hope you can help me !!

Sorry for my English but Italian :)

EDIT use placeholders placeholders that make the site usable: /

Weather Search bar: Weather forecast for your location (But it is too long as a phrase :()

Normal Search bar: As a matter of usability I realized that it is better not to put placeholders ... but if i do not put the marker, the user cannot understand ... seriously I am very confused and are not confident :( but the site has good content and a normal search bar is essential: (((

EDIT 2

enter image description here

Maybe a checkbox on search bar can be a good idea no? With "waether location" option selected and where the user can choose anorher type of search (for example an article about the last winter). Now i have only one doubt.. This option must be "Other" , "Search in the website".... I don't know which is rhe best placeholder to suggest that clicking here will active the normal search...

Please help me

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  • sorry, but you say "top right" and then show a mobile screen. Is this for mobile? For desktop? Both? (btw, search doesn't need to be on top right)
    – Devin
    Commented Dec 17, 2015 at 22:06
  • Nooo i did a screenshot with iphone :D my question is for desktop
    – user3162975
    Commented Dec 17, 2015 at 22:15

5 Answers 5

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I would use the two inputs on the same row to keep it organized and so they are both findable, this will be beneficial if you are expecting the user to enter multiple locations and questions, so they can change it all in one place. To make it easy for the user, the location field should try to autofill their location using Geolocation

To help avoid confusion to the user as to what they should type, use placeholders in the inputs to give them an example of the information and format your looking for.

mockup

download bmml source – Wireframes created with Balsamiq Mockups

Hope this helps!

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  • See edit cody :)
    – user3162975
    Commented Dec 16, 2015 at 21:05
  • I would atleast slap a little "or" text in between them, to me that looks like you're asking a question about the location you type in (i.e. I'd feel the need to fill in both)
    – DasBeasto
    Commented Dec 16, 2015 at 21:15
  • The question is suppose to be attached to the location. From how I understood it, in my example, it would be asking "When was the last earthquake in Los Angeles, CA." I suppose the fields could be flipped to make it more seamless, but they would work the same.
    – Cody Brantley
    Commented Dec 16, 2015 at 21:31
  • See edit cody and if you want suggest me :)
    – user3162975
    Commented Dec 16, 2015 at 22:02
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I wouldn't mix the two. Without more about the given context, I understand that searching a knowledge base would be more of a secondary option, so why put it in primary focus? I would advise against using two input fields close to each other. If it's a weather app, focus on weather searches by location, if you need a knowledge base section, I would include it as a secondary search feature or I would have an ? icon next to specific words(terminology), something that points you to each term's definition, where you could also search the knowledge base.

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  • Yes but if i put the weather search bar in the right of header, where i should put the nornal search bar ??? Do you think that it isn't a good idea the format as the image that i added in the first post ? Search bar with checkbox ??
    – user3162975
    Commented Dec 17, 2015 at 13:10
  • You should put it wherever you think is just as prominent as it is useful. In my previous comment, I was suggesting an icon like the green one in this image, that links to the definition of that specific term. Once in there, you could also have a search function or other means to browse the knowledge base, such as an appendix. i.sstatic.net/KQUn6.png I wouldn't wanna jump in and tell you "put it right there" because it won't work well for you, it again depends on the context.
    – GANoob4eva
    Commented Dec 17, 2015 at 13:31
  • Hmm... But i think that the green icon for the normal search bar maybe it is not a good idea because the user can think that is a link for Help or FAQ... :/ what do yuo think about the image that i added in the first post?
    – user3162975
    Commented Dec 17, 2015 at 17:11
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I'd recommend keeping the search boxes close to the things they affect. So put the location search in the same "box" as the weather display. And put the site-wide search in the header. This is the concept of gestalt, which says (generally) that users tend to associate things that are near each other.

If the searches are near each other, away from everything else, users will wonder why that is and try figuring out which belongs to what.

Here's a quick & dirty illustration (with no knowledge of your own layout). The location field is visually associated with Your Local Forecast. The site search field is in the header, where users expect a site-wide search to be.

search field locations

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  • See edit please
    – user3162975
    Commented Dec 16, 2015 at 22:01
  • If I understand your edits, you're considering the placeholder text in the search fields. I don't think that's going to fix your problem. I still say you should place them in the spots where they're needed, near the content that they affect.
    – Ken Mohnkern
    Commented Dec 17, 2015 at 13:44
  • what do you mean when say that i should "near the content that they effect"...? Can you help me an image example?
    – user3162975
    Commented Dec 17, 2015 at 17:10
  • Yes but in this case the weather search bar it will be only in one page of website. I think that in weather website is better have the option to search weather in each page no?? And what do you think about my image? Thanks a lot!!
    – user3162975
    Commented Dec 17, 2015 at 19:00
  • If both fields are next to each other, you're making the user figure out which is which. If there's a specific place where localized info shows, then put the location field there. If your location-based info is everywhere, throughout the site, then location is more of a profile-level piece of data.
    – Ken Mohnkern
    Commented Dec 17, 2015 at 19:16
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I think Yelp is a good example of this kind of contextual, location based searching. Take a look at their web-app search bar:

enter image description here

You could substitute weather events for restaurants, bars, etc.

(This is just a real world example of what Cody Brantley has suggested in his answer)

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  • Ok i can substitute and insert option "warther events", but for normal search bar what i should to insert? "Search other in the website" ??? I need that is usable :(
    – user3162975
    Commented Dec 16, 2015 at 21:44
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I would recommend if your already haven't, to user test other weather apps and sites with the type of data you are providing and ask your participants what they would use the search bar for? what type of questions are they wanting to ask?where they expect to find the information and what relationships they logically connect give to that data?, and see how they really behave with pre-existing applications.

This I hope will give you an insight into which why you should go.

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  • This isn't really am answer though. It's just telling OP to go and do some research.
    – JonW ♦
    Commented Dec 17, 2015 at 8:12

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