Past Research Groups | The User Empowerment Lab

Research Groups

Below is a list of active projects that University of Washington students are welcome to join. If you are interested in participating in a UE Lab research project, send a short description of your background and interests along with a copy of your CV to uelab@uw.edu. To participate for credit, students must secure their spot in a research group at least one week before the start of the quarter.

Past research groups can be found here.

Dark Patterns for Children

Spring Quarter, 2019
Status: Accepting new students

A Dark Pattern is a way of designing an interface that exploits users for the benefit of the developer. Maybe you've noticed the "sneak-into-basket" pattern when shopping online. Or maybe you've used an app on a social media platform, only to have it spam all of your friends. In this research project, we will be conducting a systematic review of dark patterns in apps, looking specifically at apps for kids to understand how current experiences manipulate children.

Kindness Online

Spring Quarter, 2019

Status: Accepting new students

How does the design of a social media platform influence the types of conversations that happen there? Why are some online conversations productive while others are toxic? Join us to figure out how designers can create platforms that foster constructive discourse in online spaces.