Tree-Structured Search Interface for Ambiguous Option Selection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users face difficulty in selecting options in search systems when there are no preferred options or multiple options they wish to select, as they need to choose one option despite ambiguity.
Innovation Solution
A search system with a tree structure that displays selection screens showing lower node information items, allowing users to select from multiple options and changing the current node based on user selection, while providing search results that include information items satisfying search conditions from the top node to the selected node, with priority settings for display.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a search system presents multiple options for selection, then the user has more choices and can find more relevant information, but the user may become confused and unable to decide which option to select
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by automatically executing searches for all lower nodes before displaying the selection screen. This pre-computation of search results for each option allows the user to see potential outcomes without having to manually select and search each option individually, reducing the cognitive burden and making the selection process easier while maintaining multiple options.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by displaying search result information for each lower node on the selection screen. This immediate feedback mechanism allows users to evaluate each option's potential value before making a selection, reducing uncertainty and helping users make informed decisions without having to navigate through multiple screens.
2Loss of information
If the system displays all search results for all nodes, then the user gets complete information, but the display becomes complex and overwhelming
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies local quality by displaying search result information specifically associated with each lower node in a structured manner. Instead of presenting all information uniformly, the display organizes results locally around each node, allowing users to understand the relationship between options and their corresponding results while maintaining overall information completeness.
Solution Approach 2:
The system segments the display by dividing search result information into distinct sections corresponding to each lower node. This segmentation prevents information overload by presenting data in manageable chunks rather than as a single large block, reducing display complexity while maintaining completeness through systematic organization.
Data Source
AI summary
To provide a search system for requesting a user to select any of a plurality of options and searching based on a result of selection by the user, capable of assisting the user so as to readily select an option. A selection screen display control unit (72) displays on a display unit a selection screen showing a plurality of lower node information items corresponding to a plurality of lower nodes positioned immediately below the current node in a tree structure in which a search condition and a node are correlated with each other. A search result screen display control unit (76) displays on the display unit a search result screen showing a list of information items satisfying a search condition corresponding to the nodes from the top node to the current node. In the selection screen, the selection screen display control unit (72) outputs, so as to be correlated to each of the plurality of lower node information items, a display concerning a list of information items satisfying a search condition corresponding to nodes from the top node to a lower node corresponding to the lower node information item.