Empirical assessment of WDP tool: A tool to support web usability inspections

Usability is one of the most important software qualities regarding its acceptability by end users. It is even more important in the context of Web applications. One way of evaluating applications usability is through inspections. The WDP (Web Design Perspectives-based Usability Evaluation) is a usability inspection technique presenting evidence of industrial use feasibility; however the need for some computerized support was suggested by its users. Therefore, the WDP Tool was built aiming to provide automated support to the application of the WDP technique, reducing the effort involved in usability inspections with WDP. This paper presents two observational studies regarding the use of the WDP Tool, which aimed to analyze the cost-effectiveness of its application and its appropriateness to the industrial environment through the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). The results provide feasibility indication of using the WDP Tool to support usability inspections in real software development projects in industry.