Investigating the psychology of task-based and presentation-based UI customization

Abstract

Even with a profusion of customization tools on UIs, we do not see commensurate usage. While some users are known to use available customization tools to the fullest extent, most others make do with bare minimum features and default settings. In my dissertation I propose that empirically investigating customization as functional (task-based) and cosmetic (presentation-based) will enhance our understanding of user psychology surrounding customization, thereby giving us insight into UI design principles. This paper describes the main aim of my dissertation and progress made thus far.