How people search for locations
(and how OSM can make it easier)
Ed Freyfogle
SOTM2009

Who am I?

Property search engine

Currently four EU countries

1M+ users/month
All searching for locations

Key Learning:
Users are weird and make mistakes

S
Mis pellings and typos
^
• “marlyebone”
• “clarkenwell”
• “balencia”
• “mannnheim”
• “direnze”

To much information
• “London E1”
• “in der nähe von münchen”
• “greater birmingham”
• “UK soho london england great brit”
• “Maiano di Firenze”

Not enough information
• “Zentrum”
• “near the station”
• “South”
• “Gran Via”
• “vista mare”

Is that supposed to mean something?
• K, B, KA
• hearts & beds, Chueca
• 0207, 089
• 20100
• 2brücken

Usability issues
Search box: above the fold

Usability issues
Search box: ABOVE THE FOLD

Usability issues
Search box: ABOVE THE FOLD!!!!

Usability issues
Search box:??????????

OSM actually has a good search
It’s just not on osm.org and no one knows about it.
Why not?
(note where the search box is!!!!)

We want to help
We will sponsor someone to work on making
OSM / open source geo query parsing better.
• Office space (in Central London)
• Datasets
• Computers
• Funding
Ideal project for student?

Thanks OSM Community!

Learn more
http://blog.nestoria.co.uk
Twitter: @nestoria

Questions?