UCLIC Seminar, 12 June 2025. Luigi De Russis (Politecnico di Torino)

Title: Everything Is Personal: Designing Customisable Interactive Systems

Abstract: Personal computers, intelligent assistants and smartphones are part of our daily lives. But are they truly personal to us? Can our experiences with them be more genuinely aligned with our individual needs, preferences and contexts? Do they actually enrich our daily activities and, ultimately, our wellbeing?
In this talk, I will present a range of examples that explore these questions. Drawing from my research in end-user development, human-centred AI, and digital wellbeing, I will discuss projects, studies, and experiments aimed at designing interactive systems that users can adapt and personalise. Through these cases, I will reflect on different perspectives and lessons learned in creating more meaningful and tailored technologies.

Bio: Luigi De Russis is an Associate Professor at Politecnico di Torino, Italy, where he leads the e-Lite research group (https://elite.polito.it) and serves as Deputy Head of the Department of Control and Computer Engineering. His research focuses on empowering people to create more personalised experiences with technology, spanning diverse application domains including the Internet of Things, mobile computing, and AI-enhanced systems. Apart from research, he is the Executive Vice-President of ACM SIGCHI and an Associate Editor for the International Journal of Human-Computer Studies.