Democratizing User Interfaces

Different people engage with and experience the same user interface (UI) in entirely different ways, challenging the effectiveness of 'one-size-fits-all' UIs. While personalization features exist to change font sizes or color modes, transformative changes (changes that allow users to completely reshape interfaces for their unique needs) are inaccessible to most users. The goal of this project was to reimagine UI personalization, investigating how to empower users to meaningfully redesign the graphical user interfaces they use. We placed users at the center of our research. Across multiple studies, participants were invited to share their perspectives, supported in identifying and enacting interface changes, and encouraged to reflect on how personalization tools and UIs should be designed. Specifically, we examined how community-based mechanisms can support the implementation of personalization and how access to interaction data can facilitate ideation. More details about the methods and findings of this work are available in the PhD thesis Democratizing User Interfaces. Additionally, the specific methodologies and study results are detailed across several peer-reviewed publications produced during this period.