Opportunity
Atlas Obscura wanted to improve search across the site. This was important for users to find events and trips that fit their interest, which were new business areas for the company.
Problem
Users were already providing feedback that the search results were poor and it was difficult to find what they were looking for.
Solution
While looking for ways to improve search, I conducted an audit of the existing experience, as well as competitive and market research. As a broad improvement, I updated the focus and suggested states based on users’ intents. I also added content and nearby results, which were not previously included. Additionally, I completed an exploration for accessible icons, filtering, bookmarking, and expandable cards.
Result
With that body of work, engineering had a multiple-phase plan to improve search across the site incrementally.
