Question: I have a search function that lists different search forms under links: [![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/lg3vX.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/lg3vX.png)

Each link goes to a form with slightly different parameters eg:

[![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/k8t5z.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/k8t5z.png)

and

[![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/F3XCo.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/F3XCo.png)

All forms contain a common 'title' field and, as you can see, some forms have other parameters overlapping.

This method of searching seems very inefficient. It seems much more logical to have a single search screen.

My question: what would be a better way of organising this search? Would an approach which surfaced the ubiquitous keyword field and offered advanced scoping options be a better way forward, or is the current method just as usable?

Answer: 
Both are perfectly valid options, so a lot of it will come down to the feeling you want a user to have when being greeted by the site:

You are right that just the first name is a very personal approach. This is the sort of thing you find with a lot of voice assistants on phones; not only do they simply refer to you by your first name, they can also be customized. It makes the user feel like they have an honest connection to what is actually just a machine.

If your site is for professionals who need to get work done, it may be a good idea to keep it detached and professional. It can help establish a mental barrier that the place a user is now (your site) is a place for getting things done.
To me this is depending on two factors:

**The target group:**

* For older / more serious customers I would probably go for Hello [First Name] [Last Name].
* For younger / less serious customers I would probably go for Hello [First Name].

**The websites goals:**

* For some sort of sales website I would probably go for Hello [First Name] [Last Name].
* For some sort of community website I would probably go for Hello [First Name].