Towards a Practice-Led Research Agenda for User Interface Design of Recommender Systems

Aletta Smits; Koen van Turnhout

doi:10.1007/978-3-031-42286-7_10

Towards a Practice-Led Research Agenda for User Interface Design of Recommender Systems

Aletta Smits, Koen van Turnhout

University of Applied Sciences Utrecht

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Contribution to conference proceeding › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

The design of recommender systems’ graphical user interfaces (GUIs) is critical for a user's experience with these systems. However, most research into recommenders focuses on algorithms, overlooking the design of their interfaces. Additionally, the studies on the design of recommender interfaces that do exist do not always manage to cross the research-practice gap. This disconnect may be due to a lack of alignment between academic focus and the most pressing needs of practitioners, as well as the way research findings are communicated. To address these issues, this paper presents the results of a comprehensive study involving 215 designers worldwide, aiming to identify the primary challenges in designing recommender GUIs and the resources practitioners need to tackle those challenges. Building on these findings, this paper proposes a practice-led research agenda for the human-computer interaction community on designing recommender interfaces and suggestions for more accessible and actionable ways of disseminating research results in this domain.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Human-Computer Interaction – INTERACT 2023
Subtitle of host publication	19th IFIP TC13 International Conference, York, UK, August 28 – September 1, 2023, Proceedings, Part III
Editors	José Abdelnour Nocera, Marta Kristín Lárusdóttir, Helen Petrie, Antonio Piccinno, Marco Winckler
Publisher	Springer Nature
Pages	170-190
Number of pages	21
Edition	1
ISBN (Print)	9783031422850
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-42286-7_10
Publication status	Published - 25 Aug 2023
Externally published	Yes

Publication series

Series	Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics)
Volume	14144 LNCS

Keywords

algorithmic affordances
interface design
recommender systems
research-practice gap

Access to Document

10.1007/978-3-031-42286-7_10

1 Contribution to conference proceeding
1 Review article

Aanbevelingen van een computer: hoe betrouwbaar zijn ze?
Dinnissen, K., Hauptmann, H., Herder, E., Masthoff, J. & Smits, A., Aug 2025, In: Tijdschrift voor Human Factors. 50, 2, p. 5-9 5 p.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review
Hardly any sliders in real-world apps: a library of algorithmic affordances to bridge the research-practice gap in Human-AI Interaction
Smits, A., Cardona, K., Berk, M., Marantika, T., Meeuwse, T., van Rossen, S., Sent, D., van Turnhout, K. & Hoekman, B. J., Nov 2025, (Accepted/In press) Arppid 2025. Springer Verlag, 18 p.
Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Contribution to conference proceeding › Academic › peer-review

Open Access

1 Oral presentation

Academic Research and Professional Practice in Interaction Design
Smits, A. (Speaker), van Turnhout, K. (Speaker) & Berk, M. (Speaker)
10 Jul 2025 → 11 Jul 2025
Activity: Talk or presentation › Oral presentation

Cite this

Smits, A., & van Turnhout, K. (2023). Towards a Practice-Led Research Agenda for User Interface Design of Recommender Systems. In J. Abdelnour Nocera, M. Kristín Lárusdóttir, H. Petrie, A. Piccinno, & M. Winckler (Eds.), Human-Computer Interaction – INTERACT 2023: 19th IFIP TC13 International Conference, York, UK, August 28 – September 1, 2023, Proceedings, Part III (1 ed., pp. 170-190). Springer Nature. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-42286-7_10

Smits, Aletta ; van Turnhout, Koen. / Towards a Practice-Led Research Agenda for User Interface Design of Recommender Systems. Human-Computer Interaction – INTERACT 2023: 19th IFIP TC13 International Conference, York, UK, August 28 – September 1, 2023, Proceedings, Part III. editor / José Abdelnour Nocera ; Marta Kristín Lárusdóttir ; Helen Petrie ; Antonio Piccinno ; Marco Winckler. 1. ed. Springer Nature, 2023. pp. 170-190 (Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics), Vol. 14144 LNCS).

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title = "Towards a Practice-Led Research Agenda for User Interface Design of Recommender Systems",

abstract = "The design of recommender systems{\textquoteright} graphical user interfaces (GUIs) is critical for a user's experience with these systems. However, most research into recommenders focuses on algorithms, overlooking the design of their interfaces. Additionally, the studies on the design of recommender interfaces that do exist do not always manage to cross the research-practice gap. This disconnect may be due to a lack of alignment between academic focus and the most pressing needs of practitioners, as well as the way research findings are communicated. To address these issues, this paper presents the results of a comprehensive study involving 215 designers worldwide, aiming to identify the primary challenges in designing recommender GUIs and the resources practitioners need to tackle those challenges. Building on these findings, this paper proposes a practice-led research agenda for the human-computer interaction community on designing recommender interfaces and suggestions for more accessible and actionable ways of disseminating research results in this domain.",

keywords = "algorithmic affordances, interface design, recommender systems, research-practice gap, algoritmische mogelijkheden, interface-ontwerp, aanbevelingssystemen, kloof tussen onderzoek en praktijk",

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Smits, A & van Turnhout, K 2023, Towards a Practice-Led Research Agenda for User Interface Design of Recommender Systems. in J Abdelnour Nocera, M Kristín Lárusdóttir, H Petrie, A Piccinno & M Winckler (eds), Human-Computer Interaction – INTERACT 2023: 19th IFIP TC13 International Conference, York, UK, August 28 – September 1, 2023, Proceedings, Part III. 1 edn, Springer Nature, Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics), vol. 14144 LNCS, pp. 170-190. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-42286-7_10

Towards a Practice-Led Research Agenda for User Interface Design of Recommender Systems. / Smits, Aletta; van Turnhout, Koen.
Human-Computer Interaction – INTERACT 2023: 19th IFIP TC13 International Conference, York, UK, August 28 – September 1, 2023, Proceedings, Part III. ed. / José Abdelnour Nocera; Marta Kristín Lárusdóttir; Helen Petrie; Antonio Piccinno; Marco Winckler. 1. ed. Springer Nature, 2023. p. 170-190 (Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics), Vol. 14144 LNCS).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Contribution to conference proceeding › Academic › peer-review

TY - GEN

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N2 - The design of recommender systems’ graphical user interfaces (GUIs) is critical for a user's experience with these systems. However, most research into recommenders focuses on algorithms, overlooking the design of their interfaces. Additionally, the studies on the design of recommender interfaces that do exist do not always manage to cross the research-practice gap. This disconnect may be due to a lack of alignment between academic focus and the most pressing needs of practitioners, as well as the way research findings are communicated. To address these issues, this paper presents the results of a comprehensive study involving 215 designers worldwide, aiming to identify the primary challenges in designing recommender GUIs and the resources practitioners need to tackle those challenges. Building on these findings, this paper proposes a practice-led research agenda for the human-computer interaction community on designing recommender interfaces and suggestions for more accessible and actionable ways of disseminating research results in this domain.

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KW - interface design

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KW - algoritmische mogelijkheden

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PB - Springer Nature

ER -

Smits A, van Turnhout K. Towards a Practice-Led Research Agenda for User Interface Design of Recommender Systems. In Abdelnour Nocera J, Kristín Lárusdóttir M, Petrie H, Piccinno A, Winckler M, editors, Human-Computer Interaction – INTERACT 2023: 19th IFIP TC13 International Conference, York, UK, August 28 – September 1, 2023, Proceedings, Part III. 1 ed. Springer Nature. 2023. p. 170-190. (Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics), Vol. 14144 LNCS). doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-42286-7_10

Towards a Practice-Led Research Agenda for User Interface Design of Recommender Systems

Abstract

Publication series

Keywords

Access to Document

Fingerprint

Research output

Aanbevelingen van een computer: hoe betrouwbaar zijn ze?

Hardly any sliders in real-world apps: a library of algorithmic affordances to bridge the research-practice gap in Human-AI Interaction

Activities

Academic Research and Professional Practice in Interaction Design

Cite this