The User Interface Design group studies new user interface techniques, focusing on two areas:
* Usable automation. Our goal is for every computer user to be able to harness the power of automation for handling repetitive, time-wasting, or error-prone tasks, without having to struggle with the complexity of programming.
* Usable security. Effective security depends on good user interfaces. A door may have the strongest lock in the world, but if authorized users can't open and close it easily, and have to leave it open in order to get their jobs done, then it has no security at all. We are studying ways to rethink computer security so that it is not only secure against attack but also usable by ordinary people.