OSM.org frontpage: move search box up to below logo

[openstreetmap-trac]

Reporter: sladen
[Submitted to the original trac issue database at 7.33pm, Sunday, 5th July 2009]

Currently (2009-07-06) there are a number of "little boxes" that form the bar at the left-hand side of the default http://www.openstreetmap.org/ homepage. They are:

1. 120px osm_logo.png
2. "OpenStreetMap is a free ..." introduction
3. "Help & Wiki..." link list
4. 104px State of the Map advert
5. Search box
6. Make a donation
7. CC-BY-SA

This ordering means that the Geoname Search box frequently ends up obscured "below the fold" when viewed in a web-browser, requiring scrolling (on the opposite side of the screen) to bring the search box into view.

Ideally the Search box would be moved all the way up, and placed immediately after the OSM logo.

Ideally ECMAscript focusing would also place the text-entry cursor in the page during page-load, allowing the user to enter and submit before the map has finished loading.

[openstreetmap-trac]

Author: tom[at]compton.nu
[Added to the original trac issue at 8.13am, Monday, 6th July 2009]

This is basically a matter of personal opinion as to which elements you consider most important. The SOTM organisers for example would probably turn round and say it's the SOTM advert that must not go "below the fold". Unfortunately we can't please all the people all the time and we always get this complaint during the months that the SOTM advert is on the front page.

Given that search doesn't actually work very well at the moment I am reluctant to make it too prominent anyway.

What will really solve this is a full redesign of the site that moves the search away from the busy sidebar I think.

[openstreetmap-trac]

Author: sladen
[Added to the original trac issue at 9.52pm, Wednesday, 14th July 2010]

The SOTM advert probably explains the 12 month gap in my managing to file a dup (without remembering---bug #3100).

Nomination works very well now, so the "search doesn't work" case for not doing this is no longer an issue. Ultimately people use mapping sites not for the pretty cartography, but because they would like to find something useful.

Search should ideally always be available, it should always be visible, and preferably be given initial focus on page load. Anyone who is interested in a (very tall) SOTM advert can scroll down to see the remainder of it---this is not the case with a (very short) search box, which instead gets pushed off the bottom of the screen with some people not even knowing the search box is there---and those that do know it is there having to scroll twice (once down to click, once up to view the results).

A full redesign is really not needed for such a simple, minor issue with such an immediate impact on so many 1000s of users per day---and IMHO perpetually waiting for a redesign is certainly not an argument for leaving the search box in a sub-optimal position.

[openstreetmap-trac]

Author: sladen
[Added to the original trac issue at 2.59pm, Friday, 23rd July 2010]

An update on why this can't happen just yet (July 2010):

1. Nominatim hardware needs to be upgraded before search given any further prominence.
2. Home page needs an overall redesign.

[openstreetmap-trac]

Author: TomH
[Added to the original trac issue at 1.06pm, Sunday, 28th August 2011]

This was moved some time ago.