Improving User Experience: Designing an Intuitive and Visually Appealing Interface for University First Contact and Ombudsman Services for the Centro Universitario del Sur

Abstract

In an unprecedented effort to comprehensively address the issues of gender violence, harassment, and bullying, the University of Guadalajara has implemented a support structure that involves the University Rights Ombudsman (DDU, Defensoria de los Derechos Universitarios, acronym in Spanish), the Unit for Equality (UI, Unidad de Igualdad, acronym in Spanish), and the First Contact offices (PC, Primeros Contactos, acronym in Spanish). Furthermore, The University of Guadalajara has established the Protocol for the Prevention, Attention, Sanction, and Eradication of gender violence (PPASE, Protocolo para la Prevención, Atención, Sansión y Erradicación de la Violencia de Género, acronym in Spanish) [1]. The University of Guadalajara has a network of university campuses throughout the state of Jalisco in Mexico. The Centro Universitario del Sur is one of these campuses, commonly referred to as CUSur. Despite these significant advancements in the implementation of the PPASE, the university community at CUSur generally faces challenges in understanding the processes, situations, and characteristics of these entities and regulations, placing victims or potential victims in a vulnerable situation. It is essential to expedite the information and attention processes for potential victims, and in this regard, technology can play a pivotal role. We are developing a technological intervention strategy to facilitate access for the university community, especially for victims who need to utilize the resources offered by the University of Guadalajara. To achieve this goal, we research user experience and identify the current usability of the webpage, focusing on understanding specific needs and challenges. The goal is to design an intuitive and appealing user interface that provides clear and accessible information about the available processes, services, and resources. Leveraging best practices in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) is expected to enhance the visualization of the attention processes and foster trust in the entities responsible for providing support.