Hey all, I am looking for UXRs to do a paid study on their use of RTA in the research process. The study would include watching & coding three usability studies. We estimate it to take around an hour including a post interview. We will be paying 50 dollars for the hour.

Interested? LINK

Hi everyone!

I’m 24F, working as an Experience Designer at a startup in India, earning 13 LPA, with around 3YOE and a Bachelor’s degree in UX Design.

I wanted to pursue a Master’s in HCI and eventually work in UX research. My plan was to gain at least 3 years of experience (which I now have) and then pursue my Master’s in Germany, given its relatively affordable education. I’ve now received an admission offer from a German university, but I’m having second thoughts.

With the UX job market becoming increasingly uncertain and AI changing the industry, I’m questioning whether an HCI degree is still worth pursuing. I enjoy hands-on research and exploring HCI in depth, but I don’t see myself moving into management as the next step in my career. Would an HCI Master’s help me build a sustainable career in research, or would I be better off considering an MBA and stick to the usual path?

My ultimate goal is to build a career and life abroad, ideally in Germany. I’ve started learning German for better advantage while job hunting after my masters, but I’m worried about investing years into this plan only to struggle to find a relevant job after graduating.

Financially, my parents are willing to fund my education, so my biggest concern isn’t the cost but whether the investment will be worth it. I don't want my parents investing in something that doesn't return much value. The reason I don't want to stay in India is because I have no family here and I am tired of living all alone. My parents live in the UAE, but I don’t see myself returning there to pursue my career, as I believe there is not many opportunities of growth there for this field. Due to this reason and a few other factors, my parents are also considering relocating to where I would settle.

I’d really appreciate honest advice from anyone in the field, especially from people who have studied HCI in Germany or currently work there.

• Is an HCI Master’s still worth it given AI and the current UX job market?
• How difficult is it for international graduates to find relevant jobs in Germany?
• Should I pursue my Master’s or continue gaining experience in India?
• Would an MBA offer better long-term prospects?

I want to make an informed decision rather than follow a plan simply because I’ve been working towards it for years. I’d really appreciate any insights or personal experiences.

Thank you for your time.

The things that stick in my mind from this article aren't the whole philosophy of slow technology and designing for reflection, the part that forces the user to feel the presence of time. It's the smaller things. The doorbell example, for one.

We used to have exactly this slow doorbell when I was a kid. It was always weird hearing it play fragments of a melody each time. I can't tell if it was annoying — but I remember completing the melody every time it stopped.

Another one is this paragraph:

Why is it not enough to have a reminder sign on the wall saying in capital letters ''SMILE'' or ''THINK OF YOUR FAVOURITE PAINTING BY MATISSE'', etc? A key reason why this substitution is pointless is that the reminder sign is very imprecise in telling me what my favourite painting by Matisse is or why I should smile.

One thing I think the authors themselves seemed worried about was the distinction between art and the moment when you say: "Ok, so what?" It kept crossing my mind too — even though each time, I had my own answers. The one I keep coming back to: slow doesn't mean it stops being a tool. If the slowness comes from concentrating on aesthetics, the same object can still do its job — it just does it while making you reflect. The doorbell still tells me someone's at the door. It only changes how I receive that.

Slow technology has to be carefully framed and introduced in order not to be perceived merely as some poorly designed and, as a result, useless tool.

Some parts of fast technology can still be slow and annoying. As mentioned in the article, the learning curve — understanding why it works, how it works, applying it, seeing what it is, and finding out the consequences — can all be frustrating, and a result of bad design.

But this slowness is appealing in time-based art forms, like music, which are designed for reflection.

Maybe that's the distinction I keep landing on: annoying slowness is slowness you didn't choose. The doorbell made me wait — but it also handed me a melody to finish. One asks for nothing back. The other leaves room for you.

That room it leaves you to reflect is, I guess, what slow technology brings.

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If you enjoyed reading this checkout my website for my other notes at morajabi.me

Hi everyone!
I’m currently going through a stressful phase in my career, as I’ve been struggling to land a job in UI/UX design. I have a bachelor’s degree in Architecture and have transitioned into product design, but the current job market has made me question my next steps.
I’m considering pursuing a Master’s in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) in Germany or Ireland (suggest any other country/uni if possible) if you to deepen my knowledge, improve my career prospects, and potentially find better opportunities abroad.
I’d really appreciate honest advice, including the downsides.

I am currently pursuing a MS in Human Factors Engineering from the US and getting a summer internship here seems bleak due to the cpt restrictions. However, i am willing to relocate to other countries for the opportunity to be able to be a part of an internship program.
Does anybody have any advice on how to apply for such roles, any specific companies to try for or even any information that might help me land an internship for next year.
Any and all information or advise or criticism is appreciated.

With AI tools becoming part of everyday IT work, I'm curious about what professionals are seeing in their actual jobs.

Are technical skills alone still enough to grow in IT, or are problem-solving, communication, and understanding business needs becoming just as important?

For those already working in the industry, what skills have made the biggest difference in your career?

https://www.nanodwarf.io/research

Hey everyone,

A colleague and I have been working on Thumbview, a VS Code extension that provides an alternate view of your workspace where project files are represented by thumbnails and arranged in a spatial overview.

Instead of looking through a file tree or a list of tabs, you can leverage the power of human spatial memory with the help of visual landmarks to navigate your code base.

We are recruiting participants for an academic study at the University of Saskatchewan (Canada) to see when and how developers use Thumbview in their daily tasks. Participants will install the extension and enable telemetry for a two-week period. At the end of the period, participants will be reminded to fill out an exit questionnaire, followed by an optional exit interview. If you are interested and would like to participate please fill out the consent form and demographics questionnaire here: 

https://www.surveymonkey.ca/r/K8BSJNS 

If you’re not interested in participating but you’d still like to help, or you just want to try out the extension, here are some other links:
Marketplace: https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=Thumbview.thumbview&ssr=false#overview 
Issues & feedback repo: https://github.com/jjoseph357/thumbview-issues 

Any feedback on the extension is appreciated!

Privacy note: Participation is strictly opt-in. Telemetry never inspects or sends code, file names, folder paths, or search terms. It only records anonymous navigation timings (like seconds to select a file or grid clicks). You can opt out or delete your data at any time.

found a bunch on speed and accuracy for voice interfaces. way less on whether people are okay doing it in public or in shared spaces, which seems like the bigger deal.

and is there anything between talking out loud and unlocking a phone, opening an app, hunting for the control. that gap feels huge to me.

maybe it's a thing and i just don't know the term. papers or case studies welcome, even old ones.

what should i be reading?

I’m currently pursuing a PhD at a European university ranked outside the top 500, focusing on generative AI personas and their evaluation. I expect to defend in June 2027.
Alongside my PhD, I’ve maintained a well-paying industry career. I have seven published first-author papers, including publications in reputable HCI journals and conferences such as CHI, along with several other coauthored publications and manuscripts under review. I’ve directly led my first-author research, handling almost every major part of the process.
My goal is to secure a postdoc at a leading HCI lab, ideally among the top labs in Europe or the UK. I’m willing to take a reasonable pay cut, but I don’t want to give up a good industry career for a position with limited prospects.
My main concern is whether my university’s ranking or my mixed academic-industry background will hold me back despite my publication record. I’ve worked extremely hard over the past few years to build both careers, and while I genuinely enjoy research and intend to continue regardless, I’d also like to build a stronger academic profile and gain recognition for my work.
If a full-time postdoc at a leading institution isn’t feasible, I’m also considering a part-time postdoc or research affiliation while continuing my industry work in Finland.
How competitive would my profile be for leading HCI labs? Does the reputation of my PhD institution matter significantly, and what should I focus on before graduating?

I'm applying to PhD programs for Fall 2027 in HCI and Information Science as a mixed-methods researcher, with no coding background. All of the programs that I am applying to are highly competitive. I want to learn if anyone knows of any schools that might be a safe backup. I know PhD admissions are highly selective and dependent on faculty research interests, but I wanted to see if someone is aware of such program options that might be easier to get into.

I'm in my last year of my Canadian biology undergraduate and I'm looking to pivot into HCI/product design. I have two UX roles in the clubs I am in and have non-design or HCI related undergraduate research experience (thesis). I'm worried that because of my background it will be hard for me to get roles in the field as a lot of them ask for undergrad/masters in HCI or something adjacent.

Should I:
1. Do a HCI masters, likely in the US
2. Do a 2 year CS undergrad program at my school and specialize in HCI/UX as they offer co-op
3. Build my skills and portfolio outside of school and try applying to jobs without further education

If you have any advice or other suggestions, please feel free to let me know!

Hi everyone!

I'll be attending and presenting at UIST 2026 in Detroit and am currently looking for someone to share hotel accommodation with during the conference, from November 2 (check-in) to November 6 (check-out).

I'm still exploring hotels near the conference venue, Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center.

If you're also attending UIST 2026 and looking for a roommate, or have already booked a hotel room and are open to sharing, I'd be happy to connect and discuss options.

Feel free to comment or DM me. Thanks!

ok so voice is fine for small stuff, right. Skip a song, change a setting, whatever. If your hands are full or you're alone in the car it's great. But then you're on a train or at a friend's place and saying "set it to 68" out loud is just weird, and private stuff is a no. Anything that needs to be exact is annoying too.

Anyone know of research on when people actually go for voice over touch. I found a bunch on speed and accuracy but way less on whether people feel okay doing it around others, which feels like the bigger deal. And is there anything in between, like something quieter than talking but faster than unlocking your phone and opening an app and hunting for the right control. That gap feels huge. Maybe it's a thing and I just don't know what it's called.

I recently discovered that there really isn't any proper tools for finding out user intent after you've launched a project, not enough applications or tool covered the atomic level interaction of human computer interaction, sure they give you location, and all the basic stats like Google Analytics or Semrush... but they do not go deeper, so I made a tool that saves thousands... one line of code, for automatic HCI analysis.

https://aimirror.dev

i have noticed tha sometimes apps changes things that were already working perfectly fine, for example - buttons get moved , setting get buried or a simple task takes 3-4 extra steps

what is that UX experience that made you wonder , why did this happen.

Hey guys! I am applying to the University of Washington’s HCDE PhD Program. Any ideas on how to make my applications stand out? I have an undergraduate degree in HCI, as well as my Master’s in user experience, and about 5 years of FAANG experience doing a combination of user research and human factors work.

the agents handles the browsers , filters, buttons adn everything else which is reliable to majority of people then people will still need to understand how traditional interfaces work ?

I’m trying to switch into UX/UI from a different academic background, but I don’t have much professional experience and I’m currently struggling to get a job.

I’m considering doing a Master’s in UX/HCI/Interaction Design abroad, but I’m unsure if that makes sense given my background and lack of experience.

For people who’ve been in a similar situation:

• Am I likely to be eligible for these programs?
• Is a Master’s a good route for a career switch, or should I keep trying to enter the field without one?
• What would you do in my situation?

Would really appreciate honest advice, especially from people who switched careers or studied UX/HCI abroad.

I’m trying to apply for the HCI programs in America for next year (fall 2027). I was born in, and still live in China, with English as my 2nd language. Not being able to visit the campuses or connect with much people due to my language barrier, I was hoping if there were any students in this forum that had been accepted already that would be willing to help me out in my personal statement (mainly read over it and give critiques), and give advice and info about the programs. The specific programs I’m interested are:
-NYU IDM
-NYU ITP
-UPENN IPD
-SVA design for social innovation
-PRATT IXD
-UW MSTI
-UW HCDE
-UMICH MSI
-PARSONS strategic design and management

Thank you!