Using a passive interface is also a design decision: one that tries not to attract attention. Perhaps you want to encourage use of the navigation to gently guide users toward content or marketing for a site. Perhaps you can safely predict that a site's search results will not be very reliable or clear. In these types of cases, a passive interface makes sense. You can't dissuade users from searching, but you can try to making other navigation elements more attractive.
Passive interfaces are also seen when search is useful and important, but there is no space to spare. Eddie Bauer has placed the Search link in the same nav bar with its primary categories, giving this link equal visibility. Mousing over this link displays a layer that includes all the necessary information. While using a dhtml layer to provide the entry field isn't the standard, it is clear and works well with the navigation system in place. |
