Modelling the prioritisation of quality factors in the planning and design of web applications

Abstract

This paper examines the problem of formalising and determining the relative priority of factors influencing the quality of web application planning and design. It justifies the need to move away from a simple list of web interface characteristics towards a structured representation of these characteristics, taking into account the interrelationships and relative significance of individual factors. The aim of the study is to develop a structured system of factors relating to the quality of web application planning and design, to formalise the interrelationships between them, and to determine their relative priority by combining expert assessment, semantic modelling, mathematical modelling of hierarchies, and ranking. The study identifies a set of factors, which are categorised into three main groups: ergonomics and cognitive principles of interaction; accessibility and inclusivity; and information architecture and visual design. To illustrate the interrelationships, the factors are presented as a semantic network, whilst expert judgements are used for quantitative assessment, with the calculation of total and average scores, ranks and weightings. The proposed sequence involves identifying a set of factors, constructing a semantic model of their interrelationships and determining their relative priority. Using the factors of accessibility and inclusivity as an example, a differentiated level of their significance has been established: the factor of compliance with accessibility standards received the highest weighting of 110; polymodal content representation has a value of 70; personalisation of settings and alternative navigation mechanisms each have a value of 35; and reduction of sensory stimuli has a value of 0. The results demonstrate that factors within a single functional category can differ significantly in terms of relative priority, confirming the validity of their quantitative ranking. The practical significance of the proposed approach lies in its potential to support project decision-making during the requirements specification, planning, design and testing of web applications, particularly under conditions of limited time, financial and human resources. Further research will involve expanding the set of factors, testing the model on different types of web applications, and automating the determination of weightings based on actual data regarding user interaction with web interfaces.