Usability and Accessibility Framework for Cultural Heritage Information Systems

Why It Matters

Cultural heritage information systems often lack user-centered design due to the technical focus of their creators. Implementing accessible and usable systems ensures broader access to and engagement with cultural heritage, making these valuable resources more impactful and sustainable.

Key Finding

A new, easy-to-use evaluation tool called UsA11y was created and tested, showing that it helps designers and developers, even those without specialized UX/UI knowledge, improve the usability and accessibility of cultural heritage digital systems.

Key Findings

• A simplified heuristic evaluation framework can effectively guide the integration of usability and accessibility principles.
• End-users of cultural heritage systems face specific usability and accessibility challenges.
• There is a need for accessible tools to help non-UX/UI experts improve digital products.

Research Evidence

Aim: To develop and evaluate a simple heuristic evaluation framework (UsA11y) to promote usability and digital accessibility in cultural heritage information systems, particularly for teams lacking dedicated UX/UI expertise.

Method: Heuristic Evaluation and Usability Testing

Procedure: The study involved developing a heuristic evaluation framework (UsA11y) and then applying it alongside usability testing on an existing cultural heritage information system with end-users.

Context: Cultural Heritage Information Systems

Design Principle

Simplified heuristic evaluation frameworks empower non-expert teams to integrate usability and accessibility into their design processes.

How to Apply

Use the UsA11y framework or adapt its principles to conduct heuristic evaluations on your own digital design projects, focusing on identifying usability and accessibility issues.

Limitations

The framework's effectiveness may vary across different types of information systems and user groups; the study was a case study on one specific system.

Student Guide (IB Design Technology)

Simple Explanation: Even if you're not a UX expert, there are simple checklists (like UsA11y) that can help you make your digital designs easier for everyone to use and access, especially for things like museum websites or digital archives.

Why This Matters: This research shows that making digital products usable and accessible isn't just for big companies with dedicated teams; even small projects can improve significantly by using simple, practical methods.

Critical Thinking: How might the UsA11y framework be adapted or expanded to address the unique usability and accessibility needs of different cultural heritage contexts (e.g., museums vs. archaeological sites)?

IA-Ready Paragraph: This research highlights the value of simplified heuristic evaluation frameworks, such as UsA11y, in bridging the gap for designers and developers who may not have extensive UX/UI expertise. By providing a structured yet accessible method for assessing usability and digital accessibility, these frameworks enable the creation of more inclusive and effective information systems, particularly in specialized domains like cultural heritage.

Project Tips

• When evaluating your design, think about how easy it is for different types of users to understand and interact with it.
• Use a checklist of common usability and accessibility issues to guide your review.

How to Use in IA

• Reference this study when discussing the importance of usability and accessibility in your design process, especially if your project involves information systems or serves a specific user group.

Examiner Tips

• Demonstrate an understanding of how to systematically evaluate a design for usability and accessibility, even without formal UX training.

Independent Variable: The presence and application of the UsA11y heuristic evaluation framework.

Dependent Variable: Usability and accessibility of the cultural heritage information system, as measured by heuristic evaluation findings and user test results.

Controlled Variables: The specific cultural heritage information system being evaluated, the user group participating in the usability test.

Strengths

• Addresses a practical need for accessible evaluation tools in niche design fields.
• Combines heuristic evaluation with user testing for a comprehensive assessment.

Critical Questions

• To what extent does the simplicity of UsA11y compromise its thoroughness in identifying complex usability issues?
• How can the findings from this case study be generalized to other types of information systems beyond cultural heritage?

Extended Essay Application

• An Extended Essay could explore the development and validation of a similar simplified evaluation framework for a different specialized design domain, such as educational software or medical devices.

Source

Developing and Evaluating With Usability and Accessibility in Mind: A Case Study on Cultural Heritage Information Systems · IEEE Access · 2026 · 10.1109/ACCESS.2026.3667446