A New Search Experience for University Websites
Introducing Smart Search: A New Way to Find Information at NC State
We’re excited to announce a major update to the NC State Theme — Smart Search, a powerful new way to search and find key university information across websites. This update is the first major evolution of the Utility Branding Bar in ten years, designed to improve the search experience for our university community.
What is Smart Search?
Smart Search brings together several useful features into a single, streamlined search tool:
- Faculty and Staff Directory Search: Quickly locate faculty and staff members across campus. Whether you’re trying to find a specific person or just need contact info, Smart Search makes it simple and intuitive.
- Campus Map Search: Need to find a building or location on campus? Smart Search includes an easy way to search for and find specific places on the NC State campus map.
- Curated Resources: In addition to standard web results, Smart Search includes a list of curated resources. These handpicked links make it easier to access key campus services and information that are most relevant to you.
- Search NC State Websites: Just like the previous utility bar, Smart Search still allows you to search individual websites as well as the entire ncsu.edu domain.
A Unified Experience
Smart Search is designed to help users quickly and easily access university information in a consistent, organized manner. With a focus on usability, it’s the first major update to the Utility Branding Bar in a decade — and we’re confident that it will improve how you interact with university websites.
A Rollout in Phases
We’re rolling out Smart Search across a select number of sites in the coming months. This gradual rollout allows us to gather valuable user feedback and make any necessary refinements before the full release. In early 2025, Smart Search will be available on all sites running v4 of the NC State Theme.
Ongoing Improvements
As we continue to test Smart Search, we’re committed to listening to user feedback and refining the experience. If you have thoughts, questions, or suggestions as you begin using the new search tool, please let us know. Your input helps ensure that Smart Search meets the needs of the entire NC State community.
Stay tuned for more updates as we continue to roll out this exciting new feature!
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