This study explores the implementation of the analytic hierarchy process in usability evaluations, specifically focusing on user interface assessment during software development phases. Addressing the challenge of diverse and unstandardized evaluation methodologies, our research develops and applies a tailored algorithm that simplifies heuristic prioritization. This novel method combines the analytic hierarchy process framework with a bespoke algorithm that leverages transitive properties for efficient pairwise comparisons, significantly reducing the evaluative workload. The algorithm is designed to facilitate the estimation of heuristic relevance regardless of the number of items per heuristic or the item scale, thereby streamlining the evaluation process. Rigorous simulation testing of this tailored algorithm is complemented by its empirical application, where seven usability experts evaluate a web interface. This practical implementation demonstrates our method’s ability to decrease the necessary comparisons and simplify the complexity and workload associated with the traditional prioritization process. Additionally, it improves the accuracy and relevance of the user interface usability heuristic testing results. By prioritizing heuristics based on their importance as determined by the Usability Testing Leader—rather than merely depending on the number of items, scale, or heuristics—our approach ensures that evaluations focus on the most critical usability aspects from the start. The findings from this study highlight the importance of expert-driven evaluations for gaining a thorough understanding of heuristic UI assessment, offering a wider perspective than user-perception-based methods like the questionnaire approach. Our research contributes to advancing UI evaluation methodologies, offering an organized and effective framework for future usability testing endeavors.

Se presenta un nuevo conjunto de indicadores heurísticos para la evaluación de la accesibilidad de los gráficos estadísticos para personas con baja visión y visión cromática deficiente (VCD), así como un método para su aplicación. Con el objetivo de validar la propuesta, se ha realizado una evaluación heurística de la accesibilidad de 35 gráficos publicados en 5 diarios españoles y 2 internacionales. Los resultados muestran que los indicadores propuestos consiguen detectar una mayor cantidad de problemas únicos, presentan una mejor distribución de los problemas entre heurísticos y consiguen detectar problemas más severos y específicos que las Web content accessibility guidelines (WCAG). En relación con los problemas detectados, destaca la prácticamente nula presencia de alternativas textuales en los gráficos publicados como imágenes en formato de mapa de bits, un problema que también se da en el caso de los gráficos publicados en formato SVG, donde destaca el nulo etiquetado de las marcas con estándares como WAI-ARIA. En estos últimos también se observa el pobre uso de indicadores para remarcar los elementos que reciben el foco, o su inaccesibilidad mediante una interfaz de teclado. Otros problemas comunes en ambos tipos de gráficos son la ratio de contraste entre elementos no textuales, por debajo en muchos casos del mínimo requerido, un tamaño de fuente demasiado pequeño o la no sistematización del uso de paletas de colores seguras para personas con VCD. Por lo que respecta a la comparación entre medios nacionales e internacionales, si bien las puntuaciones obtenidas por los internacionales son superiores, éstos comparten un importante número de problemas con los españoles. La lista de indicadores obtenida, más allá de demostrarse útil para propósitos evaluativos, también lo hace como guía para la creación de gráficos accesibles fácilmente incorporable a las guías de estilo de los medios analizados.

Prior research on the successful design and construction of data visualization systems or information management systems has not fully taken into account the holistic experience of employees working with information within the organization but has centered on specific aspects, such as user experience or data quality, attempting to go against information management quality, as those approaches can significantly influence users’ perceptions and their motivation to effectively use such tools for decision making. This study addresses the information consumer experience (ICX) in a Chilean Higher Education institution through the design and implementation of an user-centric centralized information management system. This system was created using an adapted design thinking methodology with an ICX perspective to identify and integrate the information consumers’ demands and other factors correlated with ICX into the system’s design. The proposed system is a technological extension of an information resource validation process that involves senior data analysts from the Analytics Department and external data analysts from other departments across the organization. This process helps to address data quality and information management quality (IMQ) problems of the organization, representing a centralized data source for all information consumers into the organization, offering consistent, accessible, and good quality data to address daily work and enhance information consumers experience, and managerial work.

This study delves into the realm of heuristic evaluation within usability testing, focusing on refining and applying a tailored algorithm that simplifies the implementation of the Analytic Hierarchy Process for heuristic prioritization. Addressing the prevalent challenge of disparate evaluation methodologies and the absence of a standardized process in usability testing, our research introduces a novel method that leverages the Analytic Hierarchy Process alongside a bespoke algorithm. This algorithm utilizes transitive properties for pairwise comparisons, significantly reducing the evaluative workload. This innovative approach facilitates the estimation of heuristic relevance irrespective of the number of items per heuristic or the item scale and streamlines the overall evaluation process. In addition to rigorous simulation testing of the tailored algorithm, we applied our method in a practical scenario, engaging seven usability experts in evaluating a web interface. This empirical application underscored our method’s capacity to diminish the requisite comparison count and spotlight areas of improvement for critically weighted yet underperforming heuristics. The outcomes of this study underscore the efficacy of our approach in enhancing the efficiency and organization of heuristic evaluations, paving the way for more structured and effective usability testing methodologies in future research endeavors.