Exploring the Role of Interaction Data to Empower End-User Decision-Making In UI Personalization
This addresses the challenge of empowering end-users in UI personalization, though it is incremental as it builds on existing personalization methods with a focus on user reflection.
The study tackled the problem of underuse in user-driven UI personalization by exploring a reflexive approach where individuals use their interaction data to identify opportunities, finding that people can identify opportunities independently but prefer system support through visual suggestions.
User interface personalization enhances digital efficiency, usability, and accessibility. However, in user-driven setups, limited support for identifying and evaluating worthwhile opportunities often leads to underuse. We explore a reflexive personalization approach where individuals engage with their digital interaction data to identify meaningful personalization opportunities and benefits. We interviewed 12 participants, using experimental vignettes as design probes to support reflection on different forms of using interaction data to empower decision-making in personalization and the preferred level of system support. We found that people can independently identify personalization opportunities but prefer system support through visual personalization suggestions. Interaction data can shape how users perceive and approach personalization by reinforcing the perceived value of change and data collection, helping them weigh benefits against effort, and increasing the transparency of system suggestions. We discuss opportunities for designing personalization software that raises end-users' agency over interfaces through reflective engagement with their interaction data.