CHIIR '26
Making recommendations inspectable
Cleo combines deterministic ranking with constrained generation so recommendations can be traced to product evidence.
Kevin Schott
Open to new opportunities
I’m a UX researcher and designer connecting human-centered research with hands-on experience in conversational AI.

Featured project · Conversational AI
Making product recommendations transparent and controllable.
I designed and built a conversational product advisor that connects natural-language requests to traceable recommendations. People can inspect the reasoning, adjust their preferences, and compare options.
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Evidence behind the experience
Three perspectives on designing AI people can understand and use. Explore the full publication list on Google Scholar.
CHIIR '26
Cleo combines deterministic ranking with constrained generation so recommendations can be traced to product evidence.
CHIIR '26
Novices benefited most from explanations paired with performance categories; experts showed no corresponding benefit.
MuC '24
Natural-language explanations improved perceived transparency and ease of understanding a recommendation, but didn't move decision confidence or purchase intent. Highlighting alone had no measurable effect.
MuC '26 workshop
Participants valued explanations, yet they also caused Cleo’s most severe usability problem in a moderated think-aloud study.
ASIS&T 2025
Identified nine distinct product-search strategies across 31 shoppers, mapped to information-seeking models.
ASIS&T 2026 (arXiv)
AI summaries significantly reduced mental demand in academic search, while broader workload and satisfaction gains stayed non-significant. A context-dependent aid, not a universal one.
ASIS&T 2025
LLMs reduced workload for dataset discovery, but users stayed cautious about verifying results.
ACM Hypertext '25
AI-generated summaries were the most understandable enrichment strategy and increased sharing of scientific posts.
Beyond conversational AI
Selected explorations in digital experiences, physical interaction, and creative technology.

A playful collaboration platform for design students, lecturers, and industry partners.
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A smart cycling jersey exploring touch interaction beyond the screen.
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An interactive instrument that turns hand movements into sound and geometric patterns.
Watch project film ↗Research meets practice
My path spans media design, UX practice, and human–computer interaction research. I turn what people need into concepts, prototypes, and design decisions a team can act on.
Research Associate / Doctoral Candidate
University of Duisburg-Essen
Sep 2026 – Feb 2027
Research Associate / Doctoral Candidate
GESIS - Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences
Sep 2023 – Aug 2026
User Experience Designer
SprintEins GmbH
Jan 2022 – Jul 2023
User Interface Designer
sternundhuber GmbH digitalarchitektur
Feb 2021 – Aug 2021
Media Producer
Thieme Group
Sep 2019 – Feb 2020
Applied Computer Science (Dr.-Ing.)
University of Duisburg-Essen
Apr 2024 – Feb 2027
User Experience Design (M.Sc.)
Technical University of Applied Sciences Ingolstadt
Oct 2021 – Jul 2023
Industrial Engineering in Media Design (B.Sc.)
Stuttgart Media University
Oct 2017 – Sep 2021
Open to new opportunities
I’m exploring new roles in UX research and design, with a focus on human-centered AI. If that sounds like a fit for your team, I’d love to connect.
Connect on LinkedIn ↗