Will Automatically Importing User Data Help Overcome the Blank Slate Problem?

The ’blank slate problem’ - the difficulty of initial use upon using a new program - is a common user experience problem. In this paper, we explore one solution: importing data from a similar product. Our team created a feature for our browser onboarding process that automatically imports data from the user’s pre-existing browser. We then conducted remote, unmoderated usability studies and quantitative experiments. Our initial findings show that autoimport can solve the blank slate problem by getting users started quickly with the browser, but introduces issues related to perceived privacy and performance. We provide recommendations that can impact design decisions related to user data and user perceptions of their privacy, particularly as it relates to tech proficiency.