Designing Search Interfaces for our Inner Hunter-Gatherer: Getting Serious about Browsing
Seeking information and interacting with it is fundamental to the life of all animals on earth. Human beings are master information seekers, but our most native and natural ways of doing it can best be seen in neolithic times, before even writing was invented. These early hunter-gatherer behaviors still drive our most familiar and instinctive information seeking. What can we learn from these early patterns? In modern information system design, how can we make it easy to follow those instincts, while also enabling searchers to negotiate dense and complex text-rich resources?
Marcia J. Bates is professor emerita in the UCLA Department of Information Studies. A fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, she is a leading authority on information search, human-centered design of information systems, and information practices. She was editor-in-chief of the seven-volume Encyclopedia of Library and Information Sciences, 3rd ed., and has received awards for research and leadership. She has been active as a technical consultant to numerous organizations. She is a graduate of Pomona College (B.A.) and of this School (M.L.S., Ph.D.). She served in the Peace Corps in Thailand.
