What No One Tells You About Personalization

5/23/24, 9:01 AM What no one tells you about personalization | by Slava Polonski, PhD | May, 2024 | UX Collective
Open in app
3
Search
This member-only story is on us. Upgrade to access all of Medium.
Member-only story
What no one tells you about personalization

Taking a more human-centered approach to personalization in the age of AI.
Slava Polonski, PhD · Following

Published in UX Collective
8 min read · 9 hours ago
Listen Share More
Personalization as a portrait or as a prism? (Illustration by author via Midjourney)
This week, Microsoft unveiled its new Copilot+ PCs, packed with AI features promising unprecedented personalization.
Among them, the “Recall” feature stood out as a pinnacle of personalized UX, tracking everything from web browsing to
voice chats, creating a searchable history that remembers what you did, even months later.
The media response has been divided — where on the cool-to-creepy spectrum does this feature fall? Is it the ultimate
personalization or a step too far into personal surveillance? Already, forum articles with titles like “Microsoft Copilot is
Spying on Me” are sparking debates across the internet.
Imagine walking into a store where every shelf is filled with items that seem chosen just for you. The lighting adjusts to your
preference, the music is your favorite playlist, and the store clerk greets you by name, already anticipating your needs. It
seems like a dream of perfect personalization. But at what cost? In exchange for this tailored experience, you grant a full, X-
ray view of your life.
In theory, personalization is the art of tailoring experiences to individual users, transforming generic interactions into
meaningful engagements. But when you talk to users, you quickly realize that it means something different to everyone. One
https://uxdesign.cc/what-no-one-tells-you-about-personalization-150c9064ae8e 1/15
user’s idea of personalization is another’s idea of intrusion. And despite reassurances from companies, many users remain
convinced that their devices are eavesdropping on them, a suspicion fueled by seemingly coincidental personalized ads.
Let’s delve into the principles and practices of personalization in UX design, and confront 3 uncomfortable truths about it:
Perception problem of personalization
Panopticon problem of personalization
Portrait problem of personalization
Personalization gone wrong (Source: Marketoonist)
1. Perception problem of personalization

When we talk about personalization, what do we really mean? For some users, personalization equates to contextualization:
content and recommendations that make sense based on their current situation or environment. For others, it’s about
statefulness — where the app remembers your preferences and history, providing a continuous, seamless experience across
sessions.
Despite the growing expectation for personalized experiences, most users remain in the dark about how these systems
operate — and more often than not, they are left disappointed with the results.
The invisibility cloak only lifts when we step outside our personal digital bubble — using a friend’s phone or a public
computer. Suddenly, we’re aware of how different everything feels, but pinpointing why is often elusive. According to a
recent Pew study, most US adults don’t even realize their daily digital experiences are personalized with AI.
The perception paradox is that one user’s idea of personalization is another’s

idea of intrusion.
Unfortunately, the disparity between personal experiences and an objective understanding of personalization mechanics
tends to foster many folk theories and misconceptions. These folk theories arise because users often lack transparency and
control over their data, leading to a sense of unease and skepticism about how their information is being used.
And for UX designers, it leaves us with a lingering uncertainty of how much control users actually feel they have — or want to
have — over their digital experiences. Ultimately, our goal is to create experiences that feel both personalized and
empowering, ensuring users always feel respected and in control. But due to the aforementioned ambiguity of expectations,
UX designers often struggle to find the right balance between data-driven personalization and user autonomy.
Illustrating the panopticon problem (Source: Marketoonist)
2. Panopticon problem of personalization

Even though personalized products are technically interactions between a user and an algorithm or computer program,
they can still sometimes feel a bit unsettlingly human. This is because we humans are wired to recognize and react to
anything that seems to “think.” It’s called anthropomorphism. We can’t just switch off the part of our brain that projects
intention onto things that mimic a human mind — even though LLMs don’t technically think on their own; they’re simply
identifying combinatorial patterns of things that frequently co-occur. Still, the idea that an app or a personalized digital
agent might be trying to reduce you to a predictable behavioural pattern can feel a bit unsettling.
“The problem with evil is that in real life, it is not necessarily ugly. It can look
really beautiful.” — Yuval Noah Harari
Thus, the issue arises when users involuntarily attribute “intent” to personalization systems. Recall how users once believed
that Gmail ads were generated by a human individual reading through their emails? They unconsciously projected
adversarial human motives onto a benevolent artificial personalization system. These kinds of misconceptions fuel popular
folk theories that tech companies spying on us, pulling our strings, and jacking up prices on the things that we like most.
Take the example of Recall’s “privacy nightmare”. When personalization is based on tracking their every move, it’s more
creepy than cool. The notion of an invisible entity watching your every activity, even with the best intentions of providing a
superior personalized product, shifts the experience from delightful to chilling. Instead of feeling understood and valued,
users might feel like they’re under constant surveillance.
The mere perception of a personalization system as an omnipresent “panopticon” can lead to more misconceptions and
apprehensions — even if in reality, it’s simply algorithms at work, not human scrutiny.
3. Portrait problem of personalization

In our quest for personalization, we try to design products that represent each user algorithmically — i.e. painting a realistic
“portrait” of each user and tailor experiences based on that snapshot. But here’s the catch: it’s an impossible task. A portrait
captures just one moment in time, while users are dynamic and ever-changing. Preferences evolve, contexts shift, and what
delights today might not resonate tomorrow.
Network representation of social contexts (Source: Collapsed Contexts by Bernie Hogan)
More fundamentally, we are all a blend of different personas and social contexts. On Instagram, a user might portray
themselves as an intrepid traveler, while on LinkedIn, they could engage with content as a diligent professional on the hunt
for their next career opportunity.
Personalization algorithms tend to struggle with this. They cannot effectively merge diverse signals across different
platforms and applications, especially if they contradict each other.
Adding to the complexity, the underlying data is often incomplete and scattered across data siloes. The bits and pieces of
behavioral traces that product designers have access to often don’t tell the entire user story. And so naturally, a “portrait” of
the user that reduces them a single, predictable version of themselves, is unable to fully represent their multifaceted
interests, preferences and behaviors.
“Bad personalization can be worse than no personalization. In engineering

human-like experiences, we sometimes forget the actual humans.” — Tom
Fishburne
How to fix personalization?
Personalization is both important and desirable. According to a study by Bond Brand Loyalty, a staggering 87% of customers
are willing to share personal information with companies in return for the promise of more tailored offers. Among
Generation Z, this willingness spikes even higher, reaching an impressive 94%.
However, there are a couple of uncomfortable truths that UX designers often overlook. So far, we’ve learned three crucial
lessons about the challenges of personalization:
Fix the perception problem: We need to help users understand how personalization works and how it doesn’t.
Transparency is key. When users grasp the mechanics behind personalized experiences, it demystifies the process and
builds trust.
Fix the panopticon problem: We must address the creepy factor by giving users control over what’s personalized and
what’s not. It’s essential to assure them that they’re not being watched by an omnipresent (human) observer, but rather
by systems designed to enhance their experience without infringing on their privacy.
Fix the portrait problem: We cannot reduce users to a single, predictable version of themselves. To respect their
multifaceted nature, we need to utilize diverse data signals across platforms, creating a more nuanced and accurate
representation.
Illustrating the personalization privacy paradox (Source: Marketoonist)
Solution: Personalization as a prism

Approaching personalization without careful consideration can deepen user confusion about AI-driven systems, fueling
skepticism and privacy concerns. In my experience launching AI products, I realized that the real opportunity lies in
understanding how users want to feel during personalized interactions — not necessarily how they want to use the actual
product. By focusing on evoking positive emotions, we can create more effective and trusted personalized experiences.
Instead of viewing personalization as a static portrait of the user, imagine it as a dynamic prism. This prism, metaphorically
held by each user, refracts their individual preferences and needs into a spectrum of personalized interactions that is
unique to them. This metaphor symbolizes the agency and autonomy users should possess in tailoring their own
interactions with products — contrasting with the top-down assumptions often made by UX designers about their users.
Just as a prism allows light to be split into its constituent colors, human-
centered personalized UX enabled users to view products through their own
unique lens, choosing how their products are personalized based on their own
preferences and desires.
Toward human-centered UX of personalization
Viewing personalization as a prism represents a paradigm shift from conventional approaches. This goes hand in hand with
an emphasis on agency and transparency, entrusting users with control, and honoring the rich tapestry of their identities.
To witness this concept in action, take a look at Spotify’s Wrapped feature or Google Maps’ personalized dining
recommendations.
At its core, the prism metaphor serves as a reminder that personalization isn’t just about algorithms and data — it’s about
people. It challenges us to reimagine our role as UX designers, shifting from dictators of experience to facilitators of
empowerment. In this new paradigm, the true measure of success lies not in the sophistication of our algorithms, but in the
meaningful impact we have on the lives of our users.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of
Google in any way.
About the author: Slava Polonski is a UXR Lead at Google Flights and a Fellow of Google’s People+AI Guidebook. He holds a PhD
from Oxford University and was featured on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list. He is an active member of the World Economic Forum expert
network and the WEF Global Shapers community. He writes about the intersection of UX, social science and technology.
UX AI UX Research Design Marketing
Following
Written by Slava Polonski, PhD

2.6K Followers · Writer for UX Collective
UX Research Lead @ Google Flights | 20% People+AI Guidebook | Forbes 30 Under 30 | PhD | Global Shaper & Expert @WEF | Prevsly @UniofOxford @Harvard
More from Slava Polonski, PhD and UX Collective
Slava Polonski, PhD in People + AI Research
When to book and when to fly? Explaining prices in Google Flights

A case study from the Google Flights UX team about designing new AI tools that help users better understand flight prices.
· 9 min read · May 6, 2020
1.5K
Anna Andersen in UX Collective
How do you accidentally run for President of Iceland?

A digital endorsement process gone wrong
5 min read · Apr 28, 2024
2.2K 15
Matej Latin in UX Collective
90% of designers are unhirable?

Or why your cookie-cutter portfolio doesn’t cut it and how to fix it
13 min read · Mar 6, 2024
7.3K 87
Slava Polonski, PhD in UX Collective
UX Interpreter: the GPT store’s game changer in AI design feedback

Why you’ll never ask a human for design feedback again.
· 6 min read · Nov 15, 2023
707 6
See all from Slava Polonski, PhD
See all from UX Collective
Recommended from Medium
Karl Mochel in UX Planet
Generative AI UX Design Patterns

Facilitating conversations on Generative AI in your UX ecosystem
7 min read · May 15, 2024
43
Reisky Khoelius
SPOTIFY: UX RESEARCH STUDY

148 6
Lists
Stories to Help You Grow as a Designer

11 stories · 740 saves
Interesting Design Topics

Figma 101
Icon Design
Ryan Tang in UX Collective
Emerging UX patterns in Generative AI experiences

How the evolution of the GUI can tell us what to expect for Gen AI interactions and interfaces
1.8K 20
dev.family
UX/UI-trends in 2024
The 2023 year was rich in technological innovations: we witnessed the introduction of virtual glasses from Apple, the surge of generative…
13 min read · Feb 28, 2024
2.2K 17
Caden Chen in JavaScript in Plain English
Animating Like Apple: Using Figma and Jitter to Design Complex Animations for Web Interfaces
Recently, a client expressed his admiration for the new Apple iPhone 15 website and requested that I design his landing page in a similar…
5 min read · Apr 28, 2024
3 1
FlowMapp
8 UI Animation Trends: Make Your Design Standing Out of Competitors

Explore eight examples of UI animations that will improve the user experience and usability.
4 min read · 6 days ago
71
See more recommendations

What No One Tells You About Personalization - by Slava Polonski, PHD - May, 2024 - UX Collective

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

You might also like

What No One Tells You About Personalization - by Slava Polonski, PHD - May, 2024 - UX Collective

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

What No One Tells You About Personalization - by Slava Polonski, PHD - May, 2024 - UX Collective

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

5/23/24, 9:01 AM What no one tells you about personalization | by Slava Polonski, PhD | May, 2024 | UX Collective

This member-only story is on us. Upgrade to access all of Medium.

Slava Polonski, PhD · Following

Listen Share More

Personalization as a portrait or as a prism? (Illustration by author via Midjourney)

Perception problem of personalization

Panopticon problem of personalization

Portrait problem of personalization

Personalization gone wrong (Source: Marketoonist)

1. Perception problem of personalization

The perception paradox is that one user’s idea of personalization is another’s

Illustrating the panopticon problem (Source: Marketoonist)

2. Panopticon problem of personalization

3. Portrait problem of personalization

Network representation of social contexts (Source: Collapsed Contexts by Bernie Hogan)

“Bad personalization can be worse than no personalization. In engineering

Illustrating the personalization privacy paradox (Source: Marketoonist)

Solution: Personalization as a prism

UX AI UX Research Design Marketing

Written by Slava Polonski, PhD

More from Slava Polonski, PhD and UX Collective

Slava Polonski, PhD in People + AI Research

When to book and when to fly? Explaining prices in Google Flights

· 9 min read · May 6, 2020

Anna Andersen in UX Collective

How do you accidentally run for President of Iceland?

5 min read · Apr 28, 2024

Matej Latin in UX Collective

90% of designers are unhirable?

13 min read · Mar 6, 2024

Slava Polonski, PhD in UX Collective

UX Interpreter: the GPT store’s game changer in AI design feedback

· 6 min read · Nov 15, 2023

See all from Slava Polonski, PhD

See all from UX Collective

Recommended from Medium

Karl Mochel in UX Planet

Generative AI UX Design Patterns

7 min read · May 15, 2024

SPOTIFY: UX RESEARCH STUDY

Stories to Help You Grow as a Designer

Interesting Design Topics

Ryan Tang in UX Collective

Emerging UX patterns in Generative AI experiences

12 min read · Mar 2, 2024

13 min read · Feb 28, 2024

Caden Chen in JavaScript in Plain English

5 min read · Apr 28, 2024

8 UI Animation Trends: Make Your Design Standing Out of Competitors

4 min read · 6 days ago

See more recommendations

You might also like