by artun.sepken -

IMPULSE #1: Entering the HCI Research Community

SIGCHI Austria Fall Meeting | 26 September 2026 | University of Vienna

As I continue my master’s studies in Interaction Design, I have been trying to understand where I want to take my research and what opportunities exist beyond my studies. My background is mainly in visual communication and design, but over the past year, I have become increasingly interested in Human–Computer Interaction (HCI), particularly in the research side of the field. This interest led me to join SIGCHI Austria and attend its Fall Meeting, which took place alongside uxcon vienna at the University of Vienna.

The meeting brought together researchers, PhD students, postdoctoral researchers, professors, and people working in different areas of HCI. The programme included research presentations, keynote talks, discussions, and opportunities to meet other participants. It was a full day of presentations and conversations, but for me, the most valuable part was getting to know the community and seeing how people with different backgrounds approach interaction research.

A different perspective on interaction design

One thing I noticed quite quickly was that my background was different from those of many other participants. Most of the people I spoke with were involved in academic research, often coming from technical or scientific disciplines. I was approaching HCI mainly through design, with an interest in how interaction concepts can be developed, prototyped, and evaluated.

This made the experience particularly interesting. I had several conversations about my studies, my interests, and the kind of research I might pursue in the future. Speaking with people who were already doing PhDs, working as postdoctoral researchers, or teaching at universities helped me understand the different paths within HCI.

I also began thinking more about the relationship between design and research. In design education, we often work towards an outcome, whether it is an interface, an experience, or an interactive prototype. In academic research, the contribution can also be a better understanding of a problem, an experimental finding, or a method that others can build upon.

These are not completely separate approaches, but I am still learning how to bring them together in my own work.

Research presentations and discussions

Throughout the day, I attended the research presentations and discussions organized by SIGCHI Austria.

What I appreciated about the format was that each presentation was followed by discussion. The audience could ask questions, share suggestions, and discuss possible directions for the research. It was interesting to see research being discussed while it was still developing, rather than only encountering it as a finished publication.

Another highlight was Elizabeth Churchill’s keynote, “Intelligence Reimagine – Interaction Redefined,” presented as part of uxcon vienna. Churchill has worked across academic HCI research and industry, including leading UX research teams at Google and other technology companies. Her background alone was interesting to me because it demonstrates how research and design practice can be connected throughout a career.

I particularly enjoyed her presence and the way she communicated. She was an engaging speaker with a strong personality, which made her presentation one of the most memorable parts of the event. Her keynote addressed the changing relationship between people, technology, and design in the context of AI. These questions are also relevant to how I am currently thinking about interactive systems.

Finding my place as a Interaction Designer

Beyond the presentations, I think the conversations I had throughout the day were just as important. Meeting people at different stages of their academic careers made the research community feel more accessible.

Before attending, I was familiar with HCI mainly through papers-projects, and the research methods I had been studying. At the meeting, I could see the people behind this work, hear about different research directions, and ask questions about their experiences.

I also offered to contribute to SIGCHI Austria through volunteering, particularly with design, organization, and related activities. I would like to stay involved because I see it as a way to learn from the community while contributing something from my own background.

The experience also made me more confident about approaching researchers, even when I do not have the same technical or academic background. I still have a lot to learn about research methodology and academic work, but I can bring my own perspective as a designer into these conversations.

Impact on my further research

This meeting came at an important point in my studies, as I have been exploring possible directions for my master’s thesis and considering further academic research.

Attending the meeting helped me see the broader field in which my interests could develop. It reminded me that HCI is interdisciplinary and that meaningful contributions can come from different methodological and professional backgrounds.

Perhaps the biggest takeaway was realizing that I do not have to choose between being a designer and becoming a researcher. I can develop both perspectives, and the combination may become an important part of my future work.

Attending SIGCHI Austria was therefore more than an opportunity to listen to presentations. It was my first direct experience of becoming involved in an academic HCI community, and it encouraged me to continue exploring this direction.

Accompanying links

  1. SIGCHI Austria — Autumn Meetup 2026 Official information about the meeting and its collaboration with uxcon vienna.
  2. uxcon vienna 2026 — Day 1 Programme Conference programme, including Elizabeth Churchill’s keynote.
  3. Elizabeth Churchill — Speaker Profile Information about her academic research, professional background, and keynote.

AI Use Disclaimer

AI was used to help organize and edit this reflection. The personal experiences, observations, and reflections are my own.

by artun.sepken -

Can an Adaptive Interface Reduce Frustration? A Master’s Thesis Review

For this assignment, I chose Adaptive Affective Computing: Countering User Frustration by Behzad Aghaei (2013), written at the University of Waterloo. I chose this thesis because it relates to my interests in human-computer interaction, cognitive workload, and adaptive interfaces. I am particularly interested in how interactive systems can recognize changes in a user’s state and respond to them in a useful way.

About the Thesis

The thesis explores whether an adaptive interface can help users recover from frustration. The author tested this using a tablet-based map application that deliberately froze during tasks. Participants wore a skin conductance sensor to measure changes in their physiological arousal. In the adaptive condition, the interface changed its colors and button sizes as part of its response to frustration.

The thesis follows a clear structure, starting with the theoretical background and continuing with the experimental methodology, data analysis, results, and discussion. The practical part involves a working prototype and an experiment comparing a standard interface with an adaptive version. The main idea is to investigate whether changing the interface based on the user’s physiological state can improve their experience.

Academic Quality and Practical Implementation

I think the research question is interesting, especially considering that the thesis was written in 2013. The idea of using physiological signals to influence interface behavior was an experimental approach at the time. I also appreciate that the project goes beyond measuring frustration and attempts to respond to it through interaction design. Although the adaptation itself is relatively simple, the research raises an important question about whether interfaces should automatically react to users’ emotional states.

The experimental approach is one of the strengths of the thesis. The author compared two interface conditions and collected both physiological measurements and participant feedback. This provides different perspectives on the user experience and helps connect the theoretical ideas to measurable results. However, there are some limitations in how the experiment was conducted.

The study initially included 40 participants, but only 22 were included in the final analysis. Although the author explains the reasons for excluding participants, this is still a significant reduction in the sample size. It raises questions about how reliable the findings are and whether similar results would appear with a larger group. Another important issue is that the frustration detection algorithm rarely worked as intended. I think this is particularly problematic because reliable detection is an essential part of the proposed adaptive system. If the system cannot consistently recognize the user’s state, it becomes difficult to evaluate the full potential of the adaptation.

The practical project is documented through screenshots, explanations of the experimental procedure, and graphs. The comparison between the standard and adaptive interfaces is especially helpful for understanding the implementation. Visually, the interface looks functional, but I do not find the design particularly convincing. The adaptation mainly involves color and button size changes, without much exploration of how these decisions affect the overall interaction. The visual changes also seem quite noticeable, which could distract users rather than support them. I think testing different adaptation strategies and conducting usability tests before the main experiment could have made the practical work stronger.

In terms of organization and communication, the thesis is generally clear and easy to follow. The transition from theory to experiment and results is logical, and the author explains the technical concepts in a way that supports the research. However, some parts of the theoretical background feel longer than necessary. I think a more focused discussion could have made the connection between the literature and the actual design decisions clearer.

The scope is also quite ambitious, combining psychology, physiological sensing, software development, and experimental evaluation. This makes the project interesting, but it also creates technical and methodological challenges. In my opinion, focusing more on the quality of the adaptation and its evaluation might have been more valuable than trying to cover so many areas at once.

The literature covers relevant academic fields and provides a useful foundation for the research. The author uses previous studies to explain physiological responses, frustration, and adaptive computing. However, I think the assumptions behind the visual adaptation could have been examined more critically. For example, there is a difference between knowing that certain colors may have calming associations and proving that changing an interface to those colors will actually help someone recover from frustration.

The thesis is generally presented carefully, with references, figures, and methodological explanations. The bibliography is relevant to the research topic, although the connection between some of the literature and the final design decisions could be stronger. I did not notice major problems with the overall presentation, but some methodological decisions could have been justified more clearly, particularly the participant exclusions.

Regarding independence, the author acknowledges that a colleague developed the software system. I do not see collaboration as a problem, especially in a technical project, but a clearer explanation of the author’s individual contributions to the practical work would have been helpful. The research direction, experimental approach, and analysis still demonstrate an independent academic investigation.

Results and Overall Evaluation

What I found most interesting is that the adaptive interface did not improve recovery as expected. The overall difference between the two groups was not statistically significant, and the first trial actually showed slower recovery in the adaptive condition.

Some participants also associated the visual changes with the application freezing rather than understanding them as a supportive response. I think this is an important finding from an interaction design perspective. Even when a system is designed to help users, the way it communicates its behavior can create confusion. The intention behind an interaction does not always match how people experience it.

Overall, I think the thesis meets the expectations of a master’s-level research project. It connects a research question with theoretical knowledge, practical implementation, and experimental evaluation. Its main weaknesses are the reduced sample size, unreliable frustration detection, and limited exploration of alternative designs.

However, I appreciate that the author discusses the unexpected results and possible reasons behind them. The prototype did not achieve its intended outcome, but the experiment still provides useful insights into the challenges of adaptive interaction. I think the academic value of the thesis comes more from its research process and findings than from the success of the prototype itself.

Relevance to My Own Thesis

This thesis connects closely to my interests in adaptive interaction, attention, and cognitive workload. I am interested in systems that can respond to users’ changing needs without interrupting their activities unnecessarily.

One thing I would like to take from this thesis is the use of a controlled experiment with clear hypotheses and measurable results. I also find the combination of physiological data and user feedback useful because it allows researchers to compare what a system measures with what users actually experience.

However, I would approach the design process differently. Before conducting the main experiment, I would spend more time testing how users understand and react to the adaptation itself. I would also consider combining physiological sensing with behavioral measurements instead of relying on a single signal. This could provide a more complete understanding of the user’s state and help avoid interpreting physiological arousal as one specific emotion.

Another aspect I would pay attention to is how noticeable an adaptation should be. In some situations, changing the interface might help users, but in others, the change itself could become an interruption. I think this is especially important when designing systems intended to support attention and task continuity.

The most important lesson for me is that an adaptive interface is not automatically a better interface. A system might successfully recognize a change in the user’s state, but its response can still be confusing or distracting. For my own research, I would like to focus not only on whether a system can adapt, but also on whether that adaptation actually supports the user’s experience.

Reference

Aghaei, B. (2013). Adaptive affective computing: Countering user frustration [Master’s thesis, University of Waterloo]. https://hdl.handle.net/10012/7386

by julia.trummer -

IMPULSE #3 | 📓 Design Research 3

Another talk I attended at the World Usability Congress was “The UX Horror Show: Let’s Talk About Dark Patterns” by Vicky Pirker. This talk connects directly to another talk (Addiction vs. Control: How (not) to build habit-forming products), since deceptive patterns are used to make products that are habit-forming. Moreover these patterns are used to manipulate and deceive users. What I found most interesting was that Digital Service Act already prohibits these tactics yet few businesses adhere to them.

As Designers we understand how people think and therefore we have the power to either protect users or exploit them. I know that as Designers, we still depend on big corporations to make a living. And as both speakers mentioned we probably can’t change capitalism in an instant but we can make things better little by little through the design decisions we make. I would argue that many young people are also growing sceptical of businesses that are purely profit-driven and prefer companies that act more responsibly and socially. This is also reflected in the 51st edition of the Harvard Youth Poll, in which the share of young Americans who identify as capitalist fell by ten percent (from 29% in 2020 to 19% in 2025).

Source: https://iop.harvard.edu/youth-poll/51st-edition-fall-2025

3 Guidelines for Designers (Article 25(3) Digital Service Act)

The speaker mentioned some easy guidelines to adhere for Designers:

  1. Don’t give prominence to one option: This is most commonly used in cookie banners, where businesses often highlight the option that benefits themselves than the users.
  2. Don’t repeatedly ask the user to reconsider: Also called Nagging, which is used by businesses to upsell certain subscription plans or products. (e.g. choosing the Basic plan and then getting “Are you sure? You’ll miss these Pro features.”)
  3. Don’t make it harder to cancel than to sign up: Many businesses use this model called Roach Motel to keep users from unsubscribing from their service. (e.g. unsubscribing from a newsletter)

DATA Framework by Vicky Pirker

How can Designers make the right decisions? The speaker created a framework called DATA, which offers some pointers for making digital products less manipulative and exploitative.

  1. D (Dignity): Users should be respected and not shamed into making decisions.
    1. For example, pop-ups that try to upsell users at checkout, such as “Are you sure you want to continue with Basic? Get 5% off if you upgrade now.”
  2. A (Autonomy): User should be able to choose freely.
    1. One well-known example is the cookie banner, where the “Accept all” button is highlighted while the other options are barely visible. Thus, users often click whatever stands out, even if it isn’t in their best interest.
  3. T (Transparency): User should always know what is going on.
    1. One example is unsubscribing, which is often extremely complicated. Instead of simply confirming that everything has been turned off and the user is unsubscribed, many businesses add extra steps.
  4. A (Authenticity): Pressure placed on users should be real not fabricated.
    1. A common example might be fake urgency on hotel booking platforms, such as “20 people are looking at this hotel right now” or “only 3 rooms left.” A more honest version would be “3 rooms left on our platform,” which makes clear that the hotel itself possibly has more availability.

Related Links

by julia.trummer -

IMPULSE #2 | 📓 Design Research 3

The second impulse I got was at the World Usability Congress 2026. I listened to the talk: “Addiction vs. controll: How (not) to build habit-forming products” by Sebastian Castaneda.

Why companies build addictive products

According to the speaker the basis for companies designing interactions that are addictive lies in their business model (capitalism). Most companies goal is to create digital products that are as engaging as possible, because that creates value. In other words the more time a user spends in an app, the more ads they see and the more revenue the company generates.

Time management in social media apps

Additionally, the speaker was specifically talking about time-management features inside social media apps. In the past these apps genuinely tried to interrupt the user so they would stop using the app. Over the past few years this changed since most businesses are profit-driven.

Until today I didn’t know that social media apps offered a time-management features. However, as shown in the previous images those features are not very effective. Why are there buttons for postponing the time limit but none for closing the app? At this point I want to mention that I use Android’s Digital Wellbeing feature, which actually works well for me. What helps me a lot through the day is that once I reach my time limit, the app icon gets grayed out. Even when I am searching for it I am having a trouble finding it. Besides that, adding more time is slightly more complicated, since I have to open the settings and click a few times.

Should we build habit-forming products at all?

One crucial question the speaker raised was: “Do we really need to build something that creates habits?”. He suggested that it sometimes makes sense to create habits. The following table shows a matrix for deciding whether it is ethical to build a habit-forming application.

the maker does not use itthe maker uses it
improves the users lifePeddlerFacilitator
doesn’t improve the users lifeDealerEntertainer

In brief, the Facilitator would be the ideal case. The creator (business) builds something that they believe in and would use themselves. The goal is to understand the user and their interests. In contrast, the Dealer (often social media platforms) is where the creator builds something that they do not use themselves and that does not help anyone, yet they still try to get people hooked on it.

What stood out to me

What stood out most to me were facts about the effects of social media. According to the speaker 45% of teen Instagram users find it difficult to manage their time on the platform. Studies show decreased cognitive capacity with the mere presence of a smartphone. Most importantly, people are two times as likely to get depression and anxiety if their social media use is more than five hours a day.

Accompanying links

Hooked: How to build Habit Forming Products – Book

James Clear – The Habbits Guide – Website

James Clear – Atomic Habits – Book

by julia.trummer -

IMPULSE #1 | 📓 Design Research 3

Summer-Break Update

Over the past several months I took some time to look into other areas of interaction design. Initially I wanted to research interface design for older adults, but I kept finding existing studies, bachelor’s and master’s theses that already covered the topic. It didn’t feel innovative. Since then I’ve shifted to the topic of deceptive patterns as it is currently in public discourse. (e.g. Engagement-Optimized Algorithms)

Recently, more related topics like solarpunk, capitalism, social media and as already mentioned deceptive patterns came to my attention. Social media platforms monetize on attention, which ties their revenue directly to how long users stay engaged. This incentivises comapnies to create addictive algorithms and to use deceptive patterns.

In this context, I found the book Desing after Capitalsim by Matthew Wizinsky which I am currently reading. The author argues that design needs to be reoriented away from exploitative and growth driven models towards much fairer and more sustainable ones.

For my first blog post I watched a lecture about this topic from the author.

This lecture was focused on Design design after Capitalism. Matthew Wizinsky was talking about difference of Design (with capital d or expert design) and design (lowercase d or diffuse design). He describes Design as the the design being practised by trained designers whereas design is performed by everybody. Most importantly he mentioned that expert design can help facilitate diffuse design.

Facing the Polycrisis

The speaker mentioned that humanity are currently facing a poly-crisis: ecological, economic and social crises. They are not separate problems but overlap and reinforce each another. He asked himself if design can help us imagine a life after capitalism.

How can we begin to think beyond capitalist logics and subjectivities, so that we can start to labor, work, act and live in different ways?

This question resonated with me because I have noticed in my own work that much of what I design is driven by business interests and not the users. Companies decide goals and metrics, so in the end our design decisions end up following their commercial interests.

Who owns attention?

Most interestingly humanity currently lives in a time where information is everywhere and its valuable because attention, data and knowledge are parts that drive economy as well. As Matthew Wizinsky pointed out, property and ownership have shifted. In the past, owning something meant owning a physical product, but today things are digital. This is also where big platforms come in. They are not just passive participants in the market, they are the market itself. They decide what users see, what creators earn and what advertisers pay. And Designers sit at the center of this system: they create the interfaces, brands and experiences of these platforms and are therefore directly responsible for decisions that affect millions of users and huge amounts of revenue.

Why it is related to my topic of deceptive patterns?

Looking back at everything, deceptive patterns are not accidents.They come from companies and their business models, where engagement equals revenue and Designers are the ones who create the tools that make this possible. For this reason and for many others this topic is important to me.

Right now I am trying to gather ideas and impulses from this talk.

Disclaimer: I will use the terms “Designers” and “designers” with their distinct meanings, that were mentioned by Matthew Wizinsky.

Related Links

Design After Capitalism

Eat the rich!

Community Economies – J.K. Gibson Graham

by julia🐨razumovskaia -

IMPULSE #2 – “Another Best Day” exhibition

#slowness #slowliving #slowinteraction #digitalcalm #calmtechnology #navigation #urbanexperience

Sometimes, the most important insights about the concept of slowness come not from books or research, but quite by chance. While walking through Udine, I passed an old stone wall and noticed a black display board featuring a photograph of mountains rising above the clouds. There were jagged peaks, mist filling the entire valley, and a large inscription: “Another Best Day.” Below that, in Italian, it read: “The best day is the one you choose to live” [1].

I hadn’t planned to go there. No GPS had mapped a route “to the exhibition,” and it hadn’t been on my agenda for the day at all. And, honestly, that is precisely why the encounter stayed with me. The most interesting things in a city are often found not on the planned route, but just off to the side.

🏔️ About the Exhibition and the Photographer

This exhibition showcases the best images from Simone De Cillia’s archive and serves as a tribute to his memory. It traces a journey through the places he explored and photographed – capturing unique mountain landscapes and moments of genuine wonder. The exhibition ran from September 3 to September 20, 2026, at the Church of San Francesco in Udine, with the city’s support. Admission was free, and visitor donations are being directed to charity.

Simone photographed the region’s mountains, and his work appeared on different platforms, for example, on Planetmountain, an Italian mountain portal [2]. Unfortunately, I could not find further details about him in public sources, so I am sharing only what I know for certain. Yet, it seems to me that his photographs speak volumes about him – more than any biography could: they reveal the perspective of someone who spent a great deal of time in the mountains and knew how to wait for the perfect light.

⛪ A space that slows you down

In my last post, I wrote about how the city often pushes us to move fast – with its wide streets, long facades, and lack of places to pause. Here, it was the exact opposite. An old church, high walls, traces of frescoes on the arches, and light streaming in through narrow windows. Inside, there are dark panels featuring illuminated photographs – almost like windows into another world.

You can’t just rush through a place like this. The space itself is designed to make you stop. Look. Then look again. Even the sound of your footsteps grows quieter. It’s an interesting contrast: the ancient architecture and the photographs of mountains combine to create the same feeling – that time moves differently here.

🧭 What this means for navigation

I stood before this photograph for a long time, thinking: in the mountains, no one looks for the “fastest route” to a moment like this. You hike for a long time – sometimes it’s a struggle, sometimes you get up in the dark just to catch the sunrise. And the goal isn’t Point B; it’s this state of being. A moment when time seems to stand still.

The person in the photo isn’t in a rush. He isn’t checking his phone or counting the distance to the next turn. He is simply present, right where he is.

To me, this perfectly illustrates the point I’ve been trying to make throughout this series: a good route isn’t defined by how few minutes you spend on it. It’s defined by what stays with you afterward – a moment, a view, a feeling, a memory.

Modern maps don’t really “think” in these terms. They know where the cafés and traffic jams are, but they don’t know where you might want to stop and simply gaze at the world. But what if routes included not just turns, but also spots marked “worth lingering here”? A bench with a view, a quiet courtyard, the open door of an old church.

“Another Best Day” reminded me of a simple truth: slowness isn’t about laziness or wasted time. It’s a choice—a choice to truly live the day, rather than just get through it.

[3]“An eternal moment. A moment when you merge with the mountains”

Sources 🛈

[1] Another Best Day. Le migliori immagini dall’archivio di Simone De Cillia. Exhibition information board, Chiesa di San Francesco, Udine, 03–20.09.2026. Personal photo.

[2] Simone De Cillia. Photo: Modeon del Buinz, Julian Alps. Planetmountain, 2021. Available at: https://www.planetmountain.com/en/photos/69362

[3] “Un momento eterno. Un momento in cui ti fondi con le montagne” (“An eternal moment. A moment when you merge with the mountains”). Exhibition wall text, “Another Best Day,” Chiesa di San Francesco, Udine, 2026. Personal photo.

by julia🐨razumovskaia -

IMPULSE #1 – steirischerherbst’26

#slowness #slowliving #slowinteraction #digitalcalm #calmtechnology #navigation #urbanexperience

In previous posts, I explored how maps and cities dictate our pace: navigation apps optimize for the fastest route [1], while streets are often designed for flow rather than for lingering. This time, I want to look at a space structured the other way around – a building that cannot be “optimized.”


On September 25, I attended the opening of Red Flags – the central exhibition of the steirischer herbst ’26 festival—at Griesplatz 34 in Graz [2]. The festival occupies a 17th-century building that previously housed a traditional schnitzel restaurant. The opening began at 5:00 PM on the street with a dance performance by Xenia Kogilaki titled Slamming Unplugged (2024), followed by music and drinks.

Foto: steirischer herbst / Dietmar Reinbacher

🚪 The Threshold Before the Journey


Even before you enter the building, an outdoor performance holds you in place. You stop, you look, you arrive. In navigational terms, this is a threshold: a conscious pause between “getting there” and “being here.” Most mapping apps end the journey with the phrase “You have arrived” – and nothing more.

🗺️ A building with no “fastest route”


Curators describe the space of the former tavern as a labyrinth of fragmented stories, cause each room tells its own tale, inhabited by detectives, “tradwives,” cult members, cam girls, and vampires. There is no shortest path through it. You navigate by means of doors, sounds, objects, and other people – not instructions.


Kevin Lynch wrote that a city’s “legibility” aids navigation, yet excessive legibility can reduce a city to a mere transit environment (see post 8/10). Here, low legibility is the design itself: the exhibition compels you to slow down because it refuses to be a corridor.

🏡 The room that slowed me down the most


The work that held my attention the longest was Nikolai Karabinovych’s Prohujalo sa južnim vetrom (2026): a detective agency, sealed off and abandoned mid-investigation, with walls and desks covered in evidence [3]. (A detailed description follows below.)
The detective moves through the space in a way that is the opposite of turn-by-turn navigation. He is not given a route; instead, he gathers clues and constructs his own picture of what transpired. This is precisely what navigation studies term a “cognitive map”: turn-by-turn GPS supports a form of passive navigation that does not help build such a map.

🔍 A Detective Agency Where the Investigation Came to a Halt


The viewer enters a detective agency that was sealed off and abandoned right in the middle of an investigation. What happened to the protagonist – the agency’s owner – remains a mystery. Walls and desks are covered with evidence, though not of an ordinary crime. These are dusty artifacts from the fringes of former empires – testimony to crimes people would prefer to forget. Through them, the artist reveals the errors and failures of the so-called transition from socialism to capitalism. Among the evidence are signs of an impending catastrophe – one that, as the festival puts it, we should have noticed much sooner.
This format transforms the viewer’s role. Visitors do not merely look at objects; they step into the shoes of a detective, piecing together connections between items, faces, and dates. There is no prescribed route or ready-made answer – the full picture emerges only through slow, attentive observation.

🎼 Sound and Fanzine


A “torture room” is located in the corridor, where this music plays on a continuous loop. The sound renders the space physically palpable and unsettling; unlike a phone notification, it is impossible to simply tune it out. At the same time, visitors can pick up a free fanzine containing the detective’s case files. Thus, the investigation continues even after one leaves the room.
The Work within the Exhibition Context


The Red Flags exhibition is structured as a labyrinth of fragmented narratives: each room tells its own story, inhabited by contemporary archetypes and marginal figures – detectives, “tradwives,” cult members, cam girls, and vampires. The curators note that at a time when right-wing forces are aggressively claiming public space, the exhibition retreats into the private realm – demonstrating that there is no safe haven. Karabinovich’s Detective Agency is one such “private” room, into which the broader sweep of political history intrudes. Age restrictions apply to some of the exhibition’s rooms.

❓ Why this work is relevant to the theme of “slowness”


It is impossible to “rush through” the installation. Clues are scattered across walls and tables, the music prevents one from simply relaxing, and the meaning is not conveyed by a single explanatory plaque. It is a space that demands the same approach as slow navigation: noticing details, lingering, and constructing one’s own map from the traces found, rather than following a pre-set set of instructions.

Sources 🛈

[1] Rethinking GPS navigation: creating cognitive maps through auditory cues. Scientific Reports, 2021. Available at: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8032695

[2] Ausstellung, Griesplatz 34. steirischer herbst ’26. Available at: https://www.steirischerherbst.at/de/program/8162/ausstellung

[3] Nikolay Karabinovych, Prohujalo sa južnim vetrom (2026). steirischer herbst ’26. Available at: https://www.steirischerherbst.at/de/program/artists/9040/nikolay-karabinovych

by julia.trummer -

TRUMMER JULIA – Blog

Introduction to the Master’s Thesis

Author: Adriana Mesquita Machado 

Title: The Co-existence of Dark and Light Patterns in the Web: Development of a Lighter-Darkness Media Toolbox for Responsible Design 

Portuguese title: A Coexistência de Padrões Dark e Light na Web: Desenvolvimento de uma Ferramenta Lighter-Darkness Media para o Design Responsável 

Year: 2023 

Institution / degree: University of Aveiro, Master’s in Communication and Web Technologies. 

Critical Analysis and Evaluation of a Master’s Thesis

I really enjoyed reading this thesis. It’s well structured without being designed at all and it was easy to follow from the start to finish. The author writes in a very orderly way and her reasoning makes sense throughout. Already in her Introduction she sets the problem, her research question and her goals. I already researched deceptive patterns myself and they are already well researched, so the topic itself doesn’t feel to innovative, but I think her toolbox is an important step towards making the topic useful for every designer. I especially liked that she didn’t stop at building the tool. She tested it with designers, got feedback and improved the toolbox. I believe the scope is impressive for a master’s thesis. She seems decisive and independent the whole way through. Also the literature review is solid, though a few more recent sources would have helped.

Evaluation of the Practical Project / Work Produced

Does the thesis successfully connect the research question, theoretical framework, and practical implementation?

Yes, very much so. Her research question, “What are the web design guidelines that inform the implementation of a lighter-darkness media toolbox?”. I think she did a great job of connecting it with the theoretical framework. The practical implementation was also great, since she really put in a lot of effort and worked with designers to improve the first version of her toolbox.

Is the documentation of the practical project clear, comprehensible, and sufficiently detailed?

The author described each step of her practical work. Starting from the moodboard and design decisions she made to the sections of her toolbox. She documented everything very well and used many screenshots and photos of her work.

In your opinion, does the quality and level of development of the practical project meet the requirements of a Master’s thesis?

In the end the toolbox is still a prototype and not a final product. This is also what the author said herself. For a master’s thesis, building a tool which also used real user input and testing is a complete and well executed design cycle and worth being called a master’s thesis. This is what I would expect from a master’s thesis.

Final Conclusion

In general, I think this is a very good and comprehensive master’s thesis. It is structured very well and is easy to read. It also connects the research question to the theory and especially the practical work. What especially stood out to me was that she didn’t just create a toolbox but also tested and then improved it through testing.

Relevance to Your Own Final Thesis

Finally, I think that the structure and also the research methods the author of this master’s thesis used is something I also would like to implement in my own master’s thesis. For me its really important to have a real outcome because I want it to be a useful work in the end. Since I think this master’s thesis is outstanding I wouldn’t really change anything.

by julia🐨razumovskaia -

1# [personalized navigation experience] – Proseminar Master´s Thesis

#slowness #slowliving #slowinteraction #digitalcalm #calmtechnology #navigation #urbanexperience

For this analysis, I selected the master’s thesis Designing Successful Digital Map Interfaces: The Role of Usability, Gamification, and Personalization by Maximilian Pankholzer, submitted in 2025. The thesis focuses on digital maps and explores how usability, gamification, and personalization can enhance the user experience. Its practical outcome is “Vanlifezone,” a map interface designed specifically for van travelers.

The work comprises a theoretical section, an analysis of existing solutions, user research, and the development of a custom prototype. The author addresses issues such as outdated information, visual clutter on maps, and a lack of personalization, subsequently translating the research findings into concrete interface solutions. However, there is a significant procedural issue: the thesis was written at FH JOANNEUM, whereas the assignment required selecting a master’s thesis from a different university or university of applied sciences.

Quality of Design and Implementation

Overall, I rate the quality of the work positively, as the research and practical components are well integrated. The author first identifies user problems and then proposes specific solutions—such as status-aware pins, persistent filters, and clustering—ensuring the design does not appear disconnected from the research.

The main drawback is the lack of comprehensive prototype testing. Although the author developed a detailed usability testing plan, the actual testing was not carried out within the scope of the project. Consequently, the effectiveness of certain solutions remains speculative and requires further validation.

Level of Innovation

I would rate the level of innovation as moderate. Certain features—such as filters, clustering, saved places, and gamification—are already found in other digital products. However, the author combines them in an interesting way and adapts them specifically for the target audience of van travelers.

Therefore, I see the work’s originality not so much in the creation of entirely new interface solutions, but rather in how they are combined and applied to a specific context.

Independence

The work demonstrates a high level of independence. The author independently conducts a literature review, analyzes existing applications, gathers user data, and develops a proprietary prototype based on these findings.

It is particularly evident that the practical solutions are linked to the results of the preceding research stages; consequently, the project presents itself as a cohesive, independent design research process.

Organization and Structure

The structure of the work is logical and clear. The research progresses steadily from theory to an analysis of existing products, followed by user research and practical development. This makes it easy to understand how the author arrived at their design decisions.

At the same time, the theoretical section occasionally feels overly voluminous and descriptive. Some concepts could have been subjected to critical comparison rather than merely explained.

Quality of Communication

Overall, the work effectively communicates both the research findings and the practical project. The visual documentation of the prototype is particularly useful, as it helps clarify exactly how the proposed ideas have been implemented.

At times, the text becomes overly detailed and loses its primary focus; however, the overall style and structure make it relatively easy to follow the author’s line of reasoning.

Scope and Coverage

I consider the scope of the work appropriate for the chosen topic. The author narrows the research focus significantly, concentrating specifically on digital maps for van travelers. This allows for a detailed examination of a specific problem, rather than a broad, generalized study of navigation.

On the other hand, such a narrow target audience limits the applicability of the findings to other user groups and types of navigation applications.

Precision and Attention to Detail

Overall, the work has been executed with care. The author pays attention not only to general UX principles but also to the specifics of digital map design—such as visual hierarchy, icons, zoom levels, clustering, and the display of data currency.

I also appreciate the transparency regarding the use of AI tools. The project explicitly notes the use of tools like ChatGPT and other AI systems, which aligns with requirements for academic transparency.

Literature

The author draws on a wide range of sources from various fields: cartography, HCI, usability, gamification, and personalization. This establishes a solid theoretical foundation for the project.

However, the literature is sometimes used merely to explain specific concepts rather than to critically compare different scholarly perspectives. I believe that a deeper discussion engaging the various sources would have strengthened the theoretical section.

Evaluation of the Practical Project

The practical project demonstrates a strong connection between the research question and the theoretical framework. For instance, the issue of outdated information led to the creation of indicators showing data currency, while the problem of map clutter prompted the use of clustering and progressive disclosure.

The project documentation is sufficiently detailed to provide an understanding of the key decisions and the development process. In my view, the prototype itself meets the standards of a Master’s-level project, as it illustrates a seamless transition from research to a concrete UX/UI concept.

However, the absence of actual usability testing remains a significant drawback. Consequently, it is impossible to conclusively prove that the proposed solutions genuinely improve the user experience.

Final Assessment

Overall, I view the work positively. Its strengths lie in the strong link between research and design, a clear structure, a substantial practical outcome, and a thorough exploration of the specific problem at hand.

The main weaknesses are the lack of comprehensive user testing for the prototype and a theoretical section that is, at times, overly descriptive. Therefore, while I consider this a compelling practical Master’s project, the results could have been significantly stronger had there been a genuine evaluation phase.

Relevance to My Own Master’s Project

This project is particularly relevant to my own Master’s work, as I am also researching digital navigation and personalization. I appreciate the author’s approach of directly translating research findings into concrete interface solutions.

In my own project, I intend to employ a similar connection between research, design principles, and the prototype. However, I would place greater emphasis on the emotional and experiential aspects of navigation—focusing not merely on how quickly a user can find a specific location, but on how the map might encourage a slower exploration of the city, foster an awareness of the surroundings, and help build a more personal connection with the urban environment.

I would also devote more attention to usability testing, aiming not only to propose a novel type of navigational experience but also to validate how users actually perceive it.

by martina.monterisi -

#6 Final considerations

Carrying out this small project was actually quite challenging, yet it really helped me find an excellent practical application to build on for my actual thesis, which had previously remained purely theoretical. I really enjoyed being able to work on something entirely my own and putting myself to the test with time management and all the stages of the design process. Although I could still improve when it comes to time management!

As for the prototype itself, I was able to have it tested once it was complete. In fact, even though I missed the last lecture, I didn’t want to skip the user testing phase. This was carried out with the help of design students, and the improvements outlined below are ones I’ll be working on over the coming months.

The usability could certainly be improved in several respects, but what everyone agreed on was that the same button to take the survey appears too many times on the home page, given the limited space available. It almost seems as though it is insistently pushing users towards the same action. The need for more information about the research in the pre-survey section was also raised, as users do not necessarily visit the ‘About’ section and the information is not clear in that section.
Another small comment was in regards to the survey for not being fully developed, drafting also the third question would have been useful to fully comprehend the user flow and overall effort required.

In general, however, based on the feedback gathered, it can be said that the project’s communication objectives were achieved and that the opportunity to access this kind of data was a well-received idea. The biggest challenge for this type of data collection in the future would certainly be to reach enough people and find ways to keep the responses as unambiguous as possible.