Should export button use the last query or the next query?

Question

I have a text field where users can enter a query, and a Search button. When the user clicks on the button, it sends the query to the server, which in turn returns data that I fill in a table below the search controls.

I want to add an Export button, that will export the data to a downloadable file(currently CSV, but I might want to add other formats later). That exported data should obviously be based on the user's query, but what if the user changes the query without reclicking?

Example - the user enters "cats" in the field, clicks Search and the table is filled with cat related results. Then the user enters "dogs", but instead of clicking on Search again, they click on Export.

On the one hand, the query field clearly says "dogs", so the user might expect to get dog data in the CSV. On the other hand, the table is filled with cat data, so the user might expect that very same cat data to appear in the CSV.

Which option should I choose? Which is more intuitive and less confusing to the user?

Answer 1

Interfaces should, among others, a) give control to the user, and b) be consistent.

Let's see how these principles apply to your case:

• Consistency: What you see on the screen and what you get on your file should be about the same thing the entire time. It's like telling a story, the narrator shouldn't jump from one thing to another.
• Control: The user should be driving the action, the user should be telling the UI what to do. The UI should not be doing anything unexpected.

You might think, how does this help? Well, you have scenarios which give you hints: I search for cats, I see cats, I export cats. It's about cats all the time. So, I'm going to establish a usage pattern by doing this action. If I type "dogs" but don't search, why would I expect to get a dogs file? There's nothing in the usage pattern suggesting this.

So, you can visually enhance your intended usege pattern: if you have a search field, below a table with the results, and even further an export button, the order of the elements will help the user establish a pattern. Or, e.g., if you label the button "Export Table" instead of just "Export".

I'm not suggesting that these are the two definitive solutions, but this is a train of thought you can follow and maybe come up with another solution.