Evaluating the Relationship Between Interface Design and User Trust in Digital News Platforms

Supervisors: Célina Treuillier, Denis Lalanne

Contact person: Célina Treuillier

Student: Elena Cascavilla

Project status: Ongoing

Year: 2025

Project Description

In today's digital landscape, citizens primarily consume news through digital platforms. These platforms present users with vast quantities of information daily. To help users navigate this overwhelming volume of content, news recommender systems employ filtering algorithms based on users' past consumption patterns, aiming to present content aligned with their anticipated needs and expectations. However, the application of these filtering algorithms remains opaque to many users, who are often unaware that the information they encounter has been curated by AI-driven systems. Designing transparent interfaces and integrating clear explanations about how these algorithms function could significantly influence user trust in news platforms and the information they deliver.

Research Question

• How does the interface design of news platforms utilizing recommender systems impact user trust in the presented information?

Research Focus

Following a user-centered research methodology, this project aims to:

• Design and develop a news platform prototype that provides transparent explanations about content filtering mechanisms and recommender system operations.
• Evaluate and measure the impact of such transparent design interventions on users' trust in the information presented by the platform

Keywords: Interface Design, News Platforms, Recommender Systems, User Trust