Finding

Definition

Finding is a focused mental mode where users have a specific target or criteria in mind and are actively trying to locate it within the system. They are goal-directed and expect fast, precise pathways to their target.

Finding belongs to the ‘Navigational’ Mode Family: focused on movement and orientation within a system.

Synonyms include: Searching, Locating, Retrieving, Seeking.

Contextual Relevance by Role

• Worker: Finding past submissions, payslips, or time-off balances.
• Manager: Locating team profiles, historical feedback, or role requirements.
• HR Partner: Finding org charts, eligibility details, or reporting structures.
• Developer: Searching for code, components, or documentation.
• Finance Specialist: Tracing vendor records, payment trails, or audit logs.

Mental Model

• Goal-directed search
• Mental checklist of criteria
• Elimination of non-matching options
• Recognition over recall
• Confidence through confirmation

Emotional Context

• Focused and determined
• Time-sensitive or under pressure
• Satisfied when results are relevant
• Frustrated by false positives or no results

Behaviors

• Using search functionality
• Applying filters and sorting
• Scanning for specific keywords or attributes
• Evaluating results quickly against known criteria

Journey Stage

When in the user journey this intent typically occurs:

• Mid-journey
• Task initiation
• Problem-solving or retrieval moments

Measuring Findability

How quickly and easily users can locate specific information or functionality.

Quantitative Metrics

• Search success rate
• Time to find target item
• Search refinement rate
• Navigation path efficiency
• Search abandonment rate

Qualitative Indicators

• Perceived relevance of results
• Confidence in result accuracy
• Satisfaction with search experience

Design Implications

1. Provide Robust Search and Filtering

Users want tools that help them quickly reduce noise and isolate matches. → Make search and filters responsive, easy to combine, and visibly scoped.

2. Ensure Clear Information Hierarchy

Users scan quickly to validate relevance — don’t bury key identifiers. → Use visual hierarchy (title, tags, icons, groupings) to surface decision-critical info.

3. Use Consistent Labeling and Terminology

Terminology mismatch creates unnecessary doubt and slows recognition. → Ensure labels, filters, and result summaries use aligned, recognizable vocabulary.

4. Support Partial Matches and Error Tolerance

Spelling errors, synonyms, and fuzzy logic are part of real-world searching. → Implement intelligent search features: autocomplete, suggestions, and tolerant matching.

5. Offer Relevant Sorting Options

Once a result set is returned, users often want to sort by recency, relevance, or importance. → Provide sort options tailored to the content type and remember preferences when possible.

UX Domains

• Navigation
• Search
• Information retrieval
• Wayfinding

UX Context Examples

• Search interfaces
• Filtered views
• Categorized navigation
• Indexed content
• Data tables

Components and Patterns

• Search bar
• Filter controls
• Categorized results
• Data table
• Typeahead/autocomplete
• “No results” guidance

Do’s and Don’ts

Mistaking Finding for Discovery

• Finding assumes a known target; Discovery is open-ended.
• Don’t clutter finding flows with exploratory content or over-personalized results.

Overloading Results Pages

• If everything is shown at once without structure, users spend more time hunting.
• Keep results organized and scannable.

Ignoring Feedback Loops

• Zero results or poor matches create doubt.
• Suggest alternatives, corrections, or let users refine easily.