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I'd like to point out that the search and how the results are displayed are part of the design - and can be the major bit. UI design isn't only, often not even primarily, about aesthetics.

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UI redesigns frequently are primarily about aesthetics. You don't have to completely redesign your site to redesign your search.

Sometimes, sure. And sometimes aesthetics are vital. That doesn't say anything about UI design in general though, only a subset of cases.

It's possible you may need to redo UI for new search. If I add faceted search or geo search, for example in my search update, I may well need to redo the UI in a way much more fundamental than aesthetics.

Bad UI design might cripple a good search capability, but UI design cannot fix a weak one.

True. But you might as well say the same about an umbrella not keeping mosquitoes away.

UI design doesn't involve BE design in any way. So?

So you are saying UI is not involved in the most important measure of quality of a retail site - that is the point, and the answer to your "so?" (though, personally, I would not make the distinction as stark as you have, here.)

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