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I have to agree. It doesn’t stand out well enough. It doesn’t catch the eye when all meshed in with other elements.

Ah NYC …I miss looking up new places to eat on menupages. I don’t miss eating out on on a daily basis though.

Agree overall. I think the problem is exacerbated by a few things as well: - the banner ad just below the search is terribly disruptive, and actually makes the overly stylized logo and search widget feel like another ad - the map in the center feels really out of place – the hand-drawn look feels out of place given the logo and typography - the logo should be more distinct from the search and in the upper right (they are assuming people will close the location tabset, but I think they’re wrong.

You’re all nuts. If anything, the search filler text carries too much weight. They could use a toggle-class to fade it back a little when it’s inactive to lighten the visual load and suggest utility. I think this adjustment would create the subtle balance that’s missing.

Not sure I can agree on this. I figured out it was a search pretty quickly, but I had the advantage of looking at that piece by itself (on the post) before actually visiting the site. You almost have to find it, since searching is really the main feature of the site. Still, I think it looks kinda nice based on the context of the site.

You’re right. It doesn’t look like a search field. But you gotta admit, it’s pretty cool!

Perhaps grayed out text or something, instead of using an ugly standard text field, would be preferable. Like Dustin said, an adjustment to clarify the fact that it’s a search field is the way to fix this, not by using an ugly old-fashioned text field. ;-)

I took a few minutes to photoshop a possible solution.

It’s posted here: BrainBank Launch Blog: MenuPages Search Box Design Suggestion

What do you think?

I agree and find the a similar problem with the Google Chrome Find in Page. I use Ctrl F to initiate find and think it has not worked.

A bit to subtle for its own good

I HATE search boxes like that. Putting any text in a field communicates to the user that it is unlikely editable.

It’s worse than I thought. On Mac Safari, the default text is not clearing.

It seems like everyone (including the author) wants to focus only on their first impression.

Shouldn’t the website’s focus be on the returning user that comes back for information, entertainment or a little of both?

I’m not for or against this redesign, but I am intrigued by the subtle aesthetic treatment and would like to give the website a shot because of it.

I think you all are making a mountain out of a molehill.

It looks better than the last version. The search box looks great. It takes 5 seconds figure out that it’s the search bar. I imagine they have vastly more returning users than new users.

So what’s the big deal? I’d gladly waste those extra 3 seconds figuring out the search bar for a site that has saved me so much time.

@Nick & Morley: Focusing on the first impression is important to get any return visitors at all. If it appears that this site has no easy search option, I may just leave. 5 seconds is to much for figuring out a standard, utilitarian element like this; Don’t Make Me Think.

^you can’t be serious. 3 seconds is live or die.

I like it. In my opinion exactly what the web needs. Searchboxes look basically all the same since the beginning. It’s about time we rethink and redesign the web. I don’t agree that first impression is everything. Everything new looks strange and weird until we get used too. People didn’t know how to use an iPhone as well. It doesn’t even look like a phone. People had to learn how to use it. (At least the ones not familiar with Apple products) Maybe the searchbox is not perfect but it deserves that we give it a try.

I think it’s because the blank slate/default text is of a serif type face and an unexpected blue. It doesn’t look editable. Italicize the text, pick a sans-serif font, and make it grey and it would work I bet.