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<h3class="nhsuk-heading-m">Designing search for four modes of information seeking</h3>
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<pclass="nhsuk-body-s nhsuk-u-secondary-text-color">Based on Donna Spencer's framework</p>
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<h4class="nhsuk-heading-s">The problem</h4>
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<p>Our original search page failed to support the different ways NHS procurement users seek information. Some users know exactly what they want, others are exploring options, some don't know what questions to ask, and others are trying to find something they've seen before.</p>
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<h4class="nhsuk-heading-s">Design solution</h4>
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<p>We restructured the search page to support all four information-seeking modes:</p>
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<p>We restructured the search landing page to support all four information-seeking modes:</p>
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<ulclass="nhsuk-list nhsuk-list--bullet">
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<li><strong>Known-item seeking:</strong> Prominent search box with manufacturer/product/GMDN support, plus 'Recently searched across NHS' quick links</li>
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<li><strong>Exploratory seeking:</strong> Six category cards showing product counts AND trust evaluation counts as social proof</li>
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<li><strong>Known-item seeking:</strong> Prominent search box with manufacturer/product/GMDN support, and quick links</li>
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<li><strong>Exploratory seeking:</strong> Six category cards showing product counts AND trust evaluation counts</li>
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<li><strong>Don't know what you need to know:</strong> Educational cards ('What makes good evidence?', 'Questions to ask other trusts', 'Value-based procurement explained')</li>
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<li><strong>Re-finding:</strong> 'Your recent activity' section showing recently viewed products and saved comparisons when signed in</li>
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</ul>
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<h4class="nhsuk-heading-s">Key insight</h4>
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<p>Procurement users often think they're doing known-item search ('I need product X') but actually need exploratory support ('what are trusts finding works?') or guidance ('what evidence should I even care about?'). The page now supports all paths without forcing users to self-identify.</p>
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<p>Procurement users often think they're doing known-item search ('I need product X') but actually need exploratory support ('what are trusts finding works?') or guidance ('what evidence should I even care about?').</p>
<h3class="nhsuk-heading-m">Category results page for exploratory users</h3>
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<h4class="nhsuk-heading-s">The problem</h4>
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<p>When users selected a category to explore (e.g. 'Wound care'), we needed a results page that supported discovery rather than just listing products.</p>
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<h4class="nhsuk-heading-s">Design solution</h4>
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<p>We designed the category results page with:</p>
<li><strong>Peer contact indicator:</strong> '5 trusts willing to discuss lessons learned' on each product card</li>
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<li><strong>Comparison checkboxes:</strong> Sticky selection bar appears when products selected</li>
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</ul>
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<h4class="nhsuk-heading-s">Rationale</h4>
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<p>Exploratory users' needs change as they discover. The page supports the journey from 'what's out there?' through filtering, scanning trust adoption, to selecting products for comparison.</p>
<imgsrc="/images/dh-4-search-category.png" alt="image of the search by category landing page">
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<figcaptionclass="nhsuk-image__caption">Search by category page iteration</figcaption>
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</figure>
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</div>
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<divclass="nhsuk-grid-column-one-half">
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<figureclass="nhsuk-image">
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<imgsrc="/images/dh-4-a-z-page.png" alt="image of the category A to Z page">
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<figcaptionclass="nhsuk-image__caption">Category A-Z page: not yet tested</figcaption>
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</figure>
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</div>
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</div>
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<h3class="nhsuk-heading-m">Leading with trust adoption visibility</h3>
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<h4class="nhsuk-heading-s">The problem</h4>
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<p>User research revealed NHS procurement professionals rely heavily on informal personal networks to discover what other trusts are procuring. Our initial product page design followed a conventional pattern: supplier branding and marketing content at the top, trust evaluations buried lower as supporting content. This didn't reflect how users actually make decisions.</p>
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<h4class="nhsuk-heading-s">Design solution</h4>
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<p>We restructured product pages to prioritise peer intelligence:</p>
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<olclass="nhsuk-list nhsuk-list--number">
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<li><strong>Trust adoption section moved to hero position:</strong> '12 NHS trusts have evaluated this product' with outcomes (9 procured, 2 under review, 1 excluded)</li>
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<li><strong>Featured contact cards:</strong> 'Sarah is happy to discuss: implementation, clinical outcomes, supplier experience'</li>
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<li><strong>'How they evaluated' sections:</strong> Shows process, business case approach, and decision factors</li>
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<li><strong>Evaluation type badges:</strong> Clinical trial, pilot study, usage report, quick review</li>
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<li><strong>Technical details collapsed:</strong> Specifications and cost analysis in expandable accordions</li>
<p>Exploratory users' needs change as they discover. The page supports the journey from 'what's out there?' through filtering, scanning trust adoption, to selecting products for comparison.</p>
<p>At this stage, a content designer performed a content review and made minor changes based on insights from user research transcripts, discussions about service functionality with team members, GDS content design guidelines and NHS style guidelines.</p>
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<p>At this stage, a content designer performed a content review and made minor changes based on insights from user research transcripts, discussions about service functionality with team members, GDS content design guidelines and NHS style guidelines.</p>
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<p>This included:</p>
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<ul>
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<li>clearer calls to action on some pages, to avoid confusion</li>
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<li>consistency and accuracy of language throughout</li>
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<li>colour coding of tags being limited to procurement decisions only (given confusion from users and potential for mixed meaning)</li>
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<li>reduced text in some places to simplify, communicate key points more clearly and avoid redundancy</li>
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</ul>
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<p>This included:</p>
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<ulclass="nhsuk-list nhsuk-list--bullet">
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<li>clearer calls to action on some pages, to avoid confusion</li>
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<li>consistency and accuracy of language throughout</li>
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<li>colour coding of tags being limited to procurement decisions only (given confusion from users and potential for mixed meaning)</li>
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<li>reduced text in some places to simplify, communicate key points more clearly and avoid redundancy</li>
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</ul>
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<!-- ============ USER RESEARCH FINDINGS ============ -->
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<h2class="nhsuk-heading-l">User research</h2>
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<h3class="nhsuk-heading-m">Selected user research insights</h3>
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<ul>
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<li>The section about the NHS 10-year plan confused some users as they weren’t sure of its relevance.</li>
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<li>Users were generally positive about the benefits-related text on the homepage.</li>
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<li>Evaluation uploading was mostly considered straightforward, but research highlighted the fact that it only covered “evaluations” and not other types of documents.</li>
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<li>Users felt the filters would be useful, especially filtering based on trust type and product category.</li>
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<li>Users liked the badges but were sometimes unclear on the colour system.</li>
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<ulclass="nhsuk-list nhsuk-list--bullet">
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<li>The section about the NHS 10-year plan confused some users as they weren't sure of its relevance.</li>
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<li>Users were generally positive about the benefits-related text on the homepage.</li>
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<li>Evaluation uploading was mostly considered straightforward, but research highlighted the fact that it only covered "evaluations" and not other types of documents.</li>
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<li>Users felt the filters would be useful, especially filtering based on trust type and product category.</li>
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<li>Users liked the badges but were sometimes unclear on the colour system.</li>
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