Effort: Medium
What to notice
Let visitors optionally choose interests and rearrange the candidate selection.
Where it fits
- Fits
- Visitors browsing large catalogs of articles, places or lessons.
- Use it when
- When choices visibly change ordering and the change can be explained.
- Avoid it when
- When declining to choose would leave visitors without results.
How to build it
- Offer topic names and a direct all-items path.
- Show selected topics with nearby removal controls.
- Make persistence a separate optional choice.
Measure
- Main metric
- Share of eligible visitors inspecting at least one candidate
- Guardrail
- Recommendation concentration and failed filter removal
- How to measure
- Allocate comparison groups before exposure and use equal follow-up and eligibility. Track Share of eligible visitors inspecting at least one candidate alongside Recommendation concentration and failed filter removal.
When it backfires
Do not infer personality or make unselected topics inaccessible.
Alternatives
Theory behind it
Meaningful choice
Choice can support motivation, with effects depending on what is chosen and under which conditions.
Well supported
Hexad gamification preferences
People can prefer socializing, exploration, achievement or contribution.
Limited evidence
Evidence limits: An editorial web application; conversion effects on this interface are unmeasured. Scale validation does not prove revenue gains from personalized UI. Do not infer personality or ability from answers.