By Sasha R. Lahijanian

Listed below are my top 5 search engines which I believe to possess the most beautiful and amazing interfaces. These websites not only go beyond the basics of website design, but they even implement new and unique concepts which improve internet searching and make it enjoyable.

1. TagGalaxy

TagGalaxy is the coolest picture-search engine in the universe. Literally. This search engine has one of the most amazing design interfaces I have seen in a search engine, and is it pretty interesting to play around with as well. You enter your search term, such as “turtles,” and your keyword then becomes the main planet in the center of the galaxy and is surrounded by other orbiting planets. These orbiting planets contain labels such as “tortoise,” “wildlife,” “reptile,” and “Hawaii.” You can either click on the main planet, which turns the planet into a picture infested 3-D globe, or you can click on the more specific tag and delve deeper into the galaxy. This is more than just a cool way to search for pictures, it is actually also useful in helping you find pictures with tags that you might not have thought to look for.

2. Yoowalk

Yoowalk is in a league of its own in terms of search engines. It is a mix between “The Sims” and “StumbleUpon” and it gives you an entirely new perspective when visiting your favorite sites. You are presented with a customizable avatar that can walk around the city and enter the interior of buildings which are 3D models of the actual websites. The map is organized into different streets which represent different categories of sites, such as, News, Comedy, Sports, etc. You can also jump to different countries which have their own villages comprised of the countries most popular websites. And Yoowalk isn’t just eye candy, it is a fully functional social environment where you can talk to other people and even submit your own favorite websites to be included. Yoowalk is possibly the most interesting way to browse the internet.

3. SearchMe

SearchMe lets you see a snapshot of the website instead of a simple link while searching, and its eye-catching design makes flipping through websites easy and convenient. SearchMe is also helpful in that it allows you to categorize your search. For example, if you typed in “BMW”, it allows you to choose from Automotive, Business News, or Review sites, allowing you to find what you’re looking for faster.

4. Dipity

Dipity places your desired keyword into a beautifully convenient timeline. For example, searching for “Iraq War” will bring up extremely detailed user generates timelines of the events in Iraq. Dipity also works with websites such as Youtube, Flickr, and Digg, allowing you to see the history of your desired word as they appeared on these websites.

5. Sputtr

There are many search engines that allow you to enter your keyword in one page and then pick the website you wish to search the keyword for. However, not all of them are very easy on the eyes. Sputtr is the exception, for Sputtr offers bubbly icons and makes the search process fast and easy. And I believe the most beautiful interface is the one which is customizable, and with Sputtr you can edit your list of icons and personalize the websites.

This entry was posted on Monday, September 22nd, 2008 at 2:01 pm and is filed under Alts, Guest Authors, Reviews, Verticals. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.