AUTHENTIC USER EXPERIENCE LAB
AUTHENTIC USER EXPERIENCE LAB
The Authentic User Experience Lab (AUX Lab) is part of the Baskin School of Engineering at UC Santa Cruz and is located in UCSC’s Silicon Valley Campus. We integrate empirical and humanistic methods to do research with subcultures. We publish in human-computer interaction (HCI) and other related venues (e.g., CHI, DIS, CSCW, ECSCW, ICWSM). Take a look at our projects and publications.
By subverting the now, subcultures become harbingers for the future practices and values of mainstream culture. Contemporary trends (e.g., in art) and movements (e.g., feminism) can be traced back to subcultures. Lying on the fringes of society, subcultures creatively reinforce and communicate their distinctive traditions—–their authenticity—in a sensor-rich and socially-networked society.
We characterize this relationship of technology with subcultures, design systems to support their notion of authenticity, and fashion new frameworks and methods to inform designs that help people strive for meaningful lives. We subscribe to the idea that society as a whole can learn a great deal about how to live from subcultures, the delightful, diverse microcosms they are.
We are always looking for new collaborators. If you are interested in doing research with us, please contact Professor Norman Makoto Su.
June 2025: Long overdue for an update! Two full papers and a Late Breaking Work were presented at CHI 2025 in Yokohama. Akash, Stefany, and Dulce had a paper on personal informatics and farmworkers in California [video]. Amelia and co-authors won a best paper award for their affective work on tracking with older adults [video]. Lastly, Bhavani, Becca, Anusha (undergrad!), and Kate did a critical analyses of AllTrails [poster].
Norman co-organized a CHI workshop with Shaomei and many others on Speech AI for All.
Peiyao will soon be presenting at CHIWORK 2025 our honorable mention work on concern reporting systems in companies, on how such systems may inadvertently lead to emotional re-victimization.
Congrats to Dr. Bengisu Calgitay on her successful defense! We all wish her the best and appreciate her time here as a visiting PhD student.
And Young Hwan Na completed his masters thesis in Computational Media, “Mapping the Broadband Experience: Redesigning Data Tools for Advocacy and Equity.” Congratulations!
November 2024: An NSF ReDDDoT planning grant with AImpower was funded. We are looking forward to collaborating with the StammerTalk community to examine how we can support grassroots AI that successful build and integrate more inclusive and equitable AI models.
June 2024: Dr. Rebecca Jonas has joined us as a postdoctoral scholar. Welcome!
See a recording of Norman’s Stanford HCI Seminar talk: Pushing the Boundaries of “Doing” Research Papers in Computing
Two CSCW 2024 papers accepted, one with Sam, Gabe, and David drawing from media archaeology and interviews on what exactly counts for a legitimate computer vision paper now (e.g., tables with benchmarks) and another led by Dustin with David Lee’s group analyzing a form of small groups we call “shared interest pods.”
April 2024: Norman is a Paper Chair for CSCW 2025, the premier venue for human-centered research in the design, use, and evaluation of technologies that support or affect social, cooperative, and collaborative practices in groups, organizations, communities, and networks.
Congratulations to Rebecca Lietz for passing her PhD advancement and to Akash Chaudhary on completing his CM masters thesis! Akash will be continuing on as a PhD student in the AUX lab.
Veronica presented her work at SIGCSE in Portland, OR on developing a new ethics and activism course for our HCI MS program.
New CHI paper spearheaded by colleagues at Brigham Young University on testing different video interventions to educate users about online privacy was accepted.