Designing Personalized User Interfaces

Thursday, January 30, 2025, 11 a.m.

Bahen Centre for Information Technology, BA 3200

This lecture is open to the public. No registration is required, but space is limited.

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Abstract:

There is no such thing as an average user. Users bring their own individual needs, desires, and skills to their everyday use of interactive technologies. While many of today’s technologies – from desktop applications to mobile devices and apps – accommodate some degree of personalization, users are often left with the sense that these technologies were created for some mythical user who is different from themself. It seems intuitive that interfaces should be designed with thoughtful adaptation in mind so as to better accommodate individual differences.  Yet, what seems intuitive is not necessarily straightforward. I will highlight some examples of our research in the area of personalization, including designing for older adults and people with impairments, touching on what we’ve learned about the strengths and limitations of personalization, and where promising future opportunities lie.

Bio:

Joanna McGrenere is a Professor and Co-Head of Computer Science at the University of British Columbia. Her research specializes in Human-Computer Interaction, with a focus on designing personalized user interfaces, developing interactive systems for diverse user populations, including older adults and people with impairments. Joanna’s research has strong ties to industry, having been an IBM Visiting Scientist and received research support from Microsoft, Samsung, Google, Autodesk, Mozilla, Nokia and Meta. Joanna’s research leadership is demonstrated through appointments such as her recent 5-year Inria International Research Chair and serving as Technical Program Chair for the ACM CHI conference.