Forum Discussion

MaryB's avatar
MaryB
Iron Contributor
Sep 03, 2019

The new Outlook search in the title bar is disconnected from the content it searches

I appreciate the benefits of Microsoft Search in the Office apps but I'm getting feedback form multiple people that having the search in the title bar is unhelpful because they need to use the title ...
microsoft 365 apps
Meelis Rüütli's avatar
Meelis Rüütli
Copper Contributor
May 25, 2020
I have a question for Microsoft developers - is appearance really the most important thing and not functionality?
I have used Office since at least 1995, and it was one of the best and most valuable programs in the world. And until 2016 updates for them were mostly reasonable.
But after that I even can't understand is there any developer who uses the programs on a daily basis and has been doing so for more than 1 year?
Why are they breaking things that were so good that they didn't need to be changed at all, and they did what they were meant to do? You put them locations where they don't fit and besides, they don't do what they should do?
Right now I see that no one cares anymore about users who have been using the product for more than 3-4 years? And about that search, I see also in my phone when I open outlook and try search something, I lose my focus! I see everything else but not that thing I needed - I wanted search emails, not contacts, not documents I changed last year?
Please give me name of that "smart guy", who thinks that if I go to store and try find bread from bread's shelf - you need to show me choice of cosmetics, women's underwear and all other things I did not want?
PLEASE DO NOT DO THAT!
Before You will break fundamentals of program, please consult at least some of the users who has used and still using them.
Quite certainly there are a lot of people in the world who would like to continue using these programs as they have used them for 25 years, rather than re-learning every year because a bunch of young developers thought they were the smartest to decide what is better for the whole world!
So, please, fix that Outlook search as I must work with it almost 24x7 and it was good enough that there was no need to change it at all! And anyway - don't lose focus on what the user did.
To develop, I still think means make things better not just nicer. 🙂
  • SchelleT's avatar
    SchelleT
    Copper Contributor
    Jun 11, 2020

    I am hating the search bar at the top, for some weird reason it has only just moved, and my Outlook is always updated.

     

    I need it near the content, I have multiple inboxes and it was so much easier when it was above the inbox near the content, now I have to move around with my mouse more in Outlook to search.

     

    Which idiot developer thought this was a good idea?

  • RussRaff's avatar
    RussRaff
    Copper Contributor
    May 27, 2020

    I've already moaned on here once, but now that I've been forced to work with this a little longer, my opinion... is simply that it's worse than I previously thought.

     

    I now have no faith in the result sets I get when searching my mailboxes.  Items I could find using a combination of, for example, sender's name and a "tag" from within the body of the mail no longer show up.

     

    To summarize:  THIS SUCKS!!!!!!  WHO on god's green earth, and WHO USES THE TOOLS DAY-IN and DAY-OUT could POSSIBLY think any of this is "progress"?  I don't care of "Project Cortex" is going to tell me 2 days in advance before my socks develop holes... I WANT TO FIND WHAT I NEED TO FIND WHEN I NEED TO FIND IT?  WHO do I need to talk to (Product managers, engineering, dev...?) to get this point across?

     

    Thanks

     

    A very controlled, calm and centered Russ

    (I would've included some quotes about leading a Mindful Life, BUT I CAN'T FIND THEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    • YoEdWest's avatar
      YoEdWest
      Copper Contributor
      May 27, 2020

      Hi all, 365 Office, fully updated on win10 and yes like you I was appalled at the change at first. 

      I use search a lot, like all day every day, private consultant, 2 personal businesses and at least 9 separate email accounts at once. Like many I have had to be careful when creating new or reply email to ensure that I am sending from the proper acct but I have only made that mistake once in the many months since the location changed. I have gotten used to always starting with the "from" dialog just in case.

      Here are some tips that have made me forget all about my original issues with the change. 

      Alt-Q and to open always but it's my left forefinger so it's natural

      a quick esc removes the dropdown for ribbon access  

      Many times I am repeating a task so the recently used items has what I am looking for 

      It only blocks a couple of items and I am usually digger way deeper anyway.

      I am always in "All Mailboxes" mode so I can catch my criteria regardless

      I used the search all unread or "isread:no" function so much I made it a customized item on my quick access along with many other repeated tasks,

      hope this helps a bit

      ed

       

        

Resources