A user device, comprising: a display module including a display interface configured to drive a display apparatus of the user device to present graphical and other information to a user; a user interface module configured to receive information from one or more user input elements of the user device, and to generate a user interface for display to the user; one or more processors operatively coupled to the display module and the user interface module, the one or more processors being configured to: identify a display configuration for the display apparatus; select a sidebar (400, 500) element to include within a part of the user interface, the sidebar element comprising a user notifications area (402, 502) and an application settings area (404, 504); arrange a group of settings for inclusion within the application settings area and along a first side of the sidebar element, the group of settings being arranged in a detailed mode; arrange a set of user notifications for inclusion within the user notifications area and along a second side of the sidebar element opposite the first side; identify a new notification (420, 520) corresponding to an active application of the user device; upon identification of the new notification: generate a graphical element representing the new notification, and add the graphical element to the set of user notifications; wherein the group of settings collapses from the detailed mode to a summary mode when the set of user notifications exceeds a threshold number of notifications, the summary mode displaying a subset of features from selected settings in the group of settings; and configure the user interface with the sidebar element for display on the display apparatus. a display module including a display interface configured to drive a display apparatus of the user device to present graphical and other information to a user; a user interface module configured to receive information from one or more user input elements of the user device, and to generate a user interface for display to the user; one or more processors operatively coupled to the display module and the user interface module, the one or more processors being configured to: identify a display configuration for the display apparatus; select a sidebar (400, 500) element to include within a part of the user interface, the sidebar element comprising a user notifications area (402, 502) and an application settings area (404, 504); arrange a group of settings for inclusion within the application settings area and along a first side of the sidebar element, the group of settings being arranged in a detailed mode; arrange a set of user notifications for inclusion within the user notifications area and along a second side of the sidebar element opposite the first side; identify a new notification (420, 520) corresponding to an active application of the user device; upon identification of the new notification: generate a graphical element representing the new notification, and add the graphical element to the set of user notifications; wherein the group of settings collapses from the detailed mode to a summary mode when the set of user notifications exceeds a threshold number of notifications, the summary mode displaying a subset of features from selected settings in the group of settings; and configure the user interface with the sidebar element for display on the display apparatus. identify a display configuration for the display apparatus; select a sidebar (400, 500) element to include within a part of the user interface, the sidebar element comprising a user notifications area (402, 502) and an application settings area (404, 504); arrange a group of settings for inclusion within the application settings area and along a first side of the sidebar element, the group of settings being arranged in a detailed mode; arrange a set of user notifications for inclusion within the user notifications area and along a second side of the sidebar element opposite the first side; identify a new notification (420, 520) corresponding to an active application of the user device; upon identification of the new notification: generate a graphical element representing the new notification, and add the graphical element to the set of user notifications; wherein the group of settings collapses from the detailed mode to a summary mode when the set of user notifications exceeds a threshold number of notifications, the summary mode displaying a subset of features from selected settings in the group of settings; and generate a graphical element representing the new notification, and add the graphical element to the set of user notifications; wherein the group of settings collapses from the detailed mode to a summary mode when the set of user notifications exceeds a threshold number of notifications, the summary mode displaying a subset of features from selected settings in the group of settings; and configure the user interface with the sidebar element for display on the display apparatus.