Alter (remove) the so-called "jump scare" interface for advanced search

[stevieflow]

Integrating https://datastore.iatistandard.org/ to the IATI Design System is required

A complication here would be what to do about the jump scare menu that appears (auto on load, but also by clicking Advanced) from the right hand side. Something more regular is needed here

@simon-20 @codemacabre @robredpath

[simon-20]

After / as part of migrating the Datastore website to the IATI Design System (GitHub issue: #954), we need to alter the advanced search interface. Currently this is implemented as a sort of popup, which needs to be removed.

Input from @stevieflow, @robredpath and @codemacabre required on what should replace the popup-style interface.

[codemacabre]

A good alternative might be to use an expandable <details> section within the main page, sometimes described as a 'disclosure widget', containing the advanced search form.

I'm happy to add an appropriate component to the design system if this is the chosen way to proceed.

[stevieflow]

Sounds interesting - thanks @codemacabre

I can't picture how this would work with the functionality that the current menu provides, but happy to look

[robredpath]

The design system is intended to be a unifying force across IATI's tooling, so whatever we create here should be applicable across the estate.

Most specifically, there's several places where people might build up a query: d-portal has a range of filters (with a basic set of 6, and an expander for dozen or so more), CDFD's "custom data download" function is in a similar vein, as is Datastore Classic. Work to make those filters do the same thing is clearly beyond the scope here, but we should be mindful of the other applications that we're designing for.

More generally, there's an interaction to design here around how we guide people to a level of complexity in our tooling that is appropriate for what they're trying to do and that gives them an intuitive sense of what the controls in front of them do. I appreciate the design intent of a simple search box, but the kinds of searches that the present design affords are not appropriate for the functionality that box actually has.

I would suggest that we do three things that I hope are quite straightforward :

• Implement the header and footer from the design system to bring Datastore Search in line with the other tools
• Implement Matomo for the search box and advanced search so that we understand how people use the current design
• Use the primary navigation in the header to switch between simple search and advanced search, with the advanced search interface being the contents of the popup placed into a page.

Then, in a few months, we can review the results in Matomo and make incremental interventions to improve things.

[stevieflow]

sounds practical, thanks @robredpath

My assumption is that that third bullet point then gets rid of the jump-scare ?

[robredpath]

@stevieflow exactly - it's just like moving between pages.