1. A computer-implemented method for processing a search request comprising: providing a user interface by a processor, the user interface displaying a first moveable row of a first set of icons, wherein each icon in the first set of icons represents a person or a group of persons, the first set of icons comprising a subset of a first superset of icons; displaying by the processor on the user interface a control that changes a value of a likelihood of interest between a user and each person or group of persons represented by the first set of icons, wherein changing the value of the likelihood of interest one of reduces or increases a quantity of one of persons or groups of persons corresponding to the first set of icons able to be displayed in the first moveable row of the first set of icons; displaying by the processor on the user interface a second moveable row of a second set of icons, wherein each icon in the second set of icons represents a type of information, the second set of icons comprising a subset of a second superset of icons; displaying by the processor on the user interface a center column within the user interface identifying a selected first icon from the first set of icons and a selected second icon from the second set of icons when a user manipulates the first moveable row of the first set of icons and the second moveable row of the second set of icons; receiving a search request at the processor indicating the selected first icon from the first set of icons and the second selected icon from the second set of icons; and providing and displaying on the user interface a search result from the processor comprising a name of at least one file, wherein the name of the at least one file is associated with the person or the group of persons represented by the selected first icon and the name of the at least one file is further associated with the type of information represented by the second selected icon.
2. The computer implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the operation of providing the user interface displaying the first set of icons further comprises: receiving a context indicator that defines a set of individuals having a common affiliation; ascertaining the subset of the first superset of icons from the first superset of icons using the context indicator; and providing the user interface comprising the first set of icons.