Naver Search Revamped... Optimized for AI Search Environment

Naver Search Tab Design

Naver Search is getting a new look. As part of search advancement, a major overhaul of the search UI (user interface) and UX (user experience) is underway.

The core of this search design revamp is the optimization of AI (artificial intelligence) search experience. Naver announced 'Air Search,' an advanced version of the existing 'Integrated Search,' two years ago, increasing the proportion of personalized search results based on AI technology. This update aims to maximize the ultra-personalized search environment so users can feel it more deeply.

Starting from the 18th of this month, Naver began testing changes to the search tab design with a select group of users. Through this design improvement, Naver plans to enhance the 'Tab Search' area beyond simple category classification to serve as a 'navigation' function that quickly guides users along appropriate paths by understanding their exploration intent.

To achieve this, tests are underway involving changes to the current search tab design and tab composition, which consist of VIEW, Images, Knowledge iN, and others. Efforts include reducing unnecessary search steps and providing a flexible exploration flow by experimenting with the exposure format and placement of recommended keywords, as well as offering various exploration tools to improve search efficiency.

Exposure of multimedia content such as short-form videos and images in Naver search results is also expected to expand further. Unlike platforms like Instagram and YouTube that provide only a single type of content, Naver has a vast accumulation of diverse content types including text, images, and videos.

This year, Naver plans to increase search immersion by providing search results optimized for each content type. For example, for content recommending multiple locations like ‘Paris travel courses,’ the structure will emphasize multiple images, while for content where text information is preferred, such as ‘How to do year-end tax settlement,’ a text preview will highlight the key points first, emphasizing the information that should be recognized first according to the content’s nature.

Naver is also currently testing recommendations of various content reflecting users’ interests on the search home feed. In the recommendation area, UX will be improved with a familiar continuous scroll method through vertical services like SNS, and a feed-type layout will be introduced to minimize content consumption burden and fatigue, allowing users to discover more content and trends.

Kim Jaeyup, the lead responsible for Naver Search UI/UX design, stated, “This revamp is a design optimized for ‘Air Search,’ which provides customized content tailored to user preferences, and it also takes into account the usability of SearchGPT, scheduled to launch later this year.” He added, “We expect this new search paradigm shift to significantly enhance users’ search experience.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.