Social Search on Bing

 

Visual + Interaction Design

User Research Analysis

 

Problem:
Bing had a low number of search queries related to social terms, which ultimately hurt their market share. 

Response:
Develop new ways to understand and display social content, leading to the redesign of the Bing search framework.

Patents: Inline Commenting on Social Threads

Sponsor:  Microsoft
Date: 2012–13 

 
The existing search model had a limited amount of places to interact socially. Our team proposed adding social commentary to broaden the scope.

The existing search model had a limited amount of places to interact socially. Our team proposed adding social commentary to broaden the scope.

 
Our research looked at the correlations between search intent and the relationship to the information source.

Our research looked at the correlations between search intent and the relationship to the information source.

 
Initial designs built a 'social sidebar' that included Facebook, Twitter, and other social search results when signed in.

Initial designs built a 'social sidebar' that included Facebook, Twitter, and other social search results when signed in.

 
The team proposed integrating the sidebar into the context of the entity data.

The team proposed integrating the sidebar into the context of the entity data.

 
The new designs were flighted with variations on color and contrast ratios to test usability.

The new designs were flighted with variations on color and contrast ratios to test usability.

 
The final design brought search results from Facebook and Twitter closer to the entity data in the right column.

The final design brought search results from Facebook and Twitter closer to the entity data in the right column.