hey, I'm uğur 👋

I'm a Human-Computer Interaction researcher, designer, and developer. I currently work as a Postdoc at TU Delft KInD Research Group. I study how Persuasive AI shapes Decision-Making: where it helps people reason better, and where it introduces risks like manipulation, overreliance, and loss of agency. You can explore my publications and teaching.

Me speaking on stage at React Summit about the future of Next.js

Me standing on stage at Reactathon delivering the keynote

Me and Guillermo Rauch on stage for Vercel Ship, answering questions from the Next.js community

Me, Lydia, and Delba filming the Next.js Conf keynote

My badge on top of a pile of badges from a Vercel meetup we held

Me standing on stage at SmashingConf giving a talk about my optimism for the web

Current Interests

I investigate the full arc of AI-assisted decisions, from first impression to long-term use. My core question is simple: how can we design persuasive systems that support people without quietly taking control away from them?

Persuasive AI for decision-making in everyday and high-stakes contexts.
How language, visuals, and personality cues in AI shape trust and choices.
When helpful influence turns into manipulation, and how to detect that boundary.
Overreliance, skill atrophy, and long-term side effects of AI-supported decisions.

Research Vision

My vision is to help build AI systems that function as reflective partners, not behavioral traps. I want decision support tools to improve confidence, clarity, and outcomes while preserving human agency, critical thinking, and plural values.

Agency First

AI should expand human judgment, not replace it or quietly steer it.

Transparent Persuasion

Influence must be visible and inspectable so people understand why they are nudged.

Measure Benefits and Harms

I evaluate both immediate outcomes and long-term impacts like dependence and blind trust.

Design for Reflection

Good systems create space to pause, compare options, and make values-aligned decisions.

Google Scholar

I hold a Ph.D. in Human-Computer Interaction from Koç University, where my dissertation focused on designing for richer social interactions in public spaces. I have published at CHI, DIS, and other HCI and design venues, and received a Ph.D. Excellence Award for my dissertation.

Alongside academic work, I taught and mentored at undergraduate and graduate levels, and currently teach at TU Delft. I also worked as a designer at Siemens, building data visualization concepts for industrial smart machines with international teams. That mix of academia and industry keeps my research both critical and practical.