Google TV Search: Dual-Wielding Search and Discovery in a Large-Scale Product

In 2006 Google designed and implemented a TV Show search system which featured a dual-navigation control combining a powerful search system with an interactive, personalize-able TV listings grid. The dual-control system allowed users to move fluidly between explicit search and general discovery, obtain detailed information without leaving the global context and construct a personal channel for easy access and recommendations. As a complete system, TV Search integrated with Google's general search page through a mini-listings onebox and also exported information out to Google calendar, Gmail and TiVo^™. Building this TV Search system as a large-scale product meant addressing many technological, business and fine-grained user experience details. This paper describes the design process including the early designs, the user studies and the details of the final system including the mini-guide, main page dual-control and the integrated services on the detail pages.