Multi-Criteria Option Comparison Tool for Dynamic Decision Visualization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing decision-making tools, such as comparison tables and stoplight charts, are inadequate for assessing multiple options across various criteria, leading to biased and error-prone decisions due to their static nature and reliance on human cognitive limitations.
Innovation Solution
A computerized multi-criteria option comparison tool that allows users to visually compare tradeoffs between options using customizable graphical representations, including frequency distributions and user-modifiable satisfaction thresholds, enabling parallel evaluation of multiple criteria.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If comparison tables or stoplight charts are used to visualize options, then visual comparison is provided, but the tools are static, non-customizable, and require verbal cognitive resources leading to bias and error
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms static comparison tables into dynamic, interactive visualizations where criteria weights, option evaluations, and visual parameters can be adjusted in real-time. The system automatically updates visual representations (charts, graphs, color-coding) based on user modifications to criteria importance and satisfaction thresholds, enabling adaptive exploration of different decision scenarios without requiring verbal cognitive resources.
Solution Approach 2:
The system allows decision makers to modify key parameters including criteria weights, satisfaction thresholds, and evaluation metrics. These parameter changes dynamically alter the visualization output, enabling customization according to specific decision contexts while maintaining visual rather than verbal processing. The automated recalculation and re-rendering of visualizations based on parameter changes resolves the contradiction between ease of visual operation and adaptability to user needs.
2Loss of time
If decision makers consider options serially in their mind, then cognitive resources are conserved, but the process is time-consuming and prone to error due to human cognitive limitations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the human cognitive system (serial mental processing) with a computerized automated system that performs parallel evaluation of multiple options across multiple criteria. The system automatically calculates evaluations, applies criteria weights, and generates visual comparisons, eliminating the time-consuming and error-prone serial mental process while providing reliable, consistent results through automated computation rather than human cognitive effort.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary automated calculations and evaluations of all options against all criteria before presentation to the decision maker. By pre-computing the complex multi-criteria evaluations and organizing results in visual formats, the system eliminates the need for time-consuming serial mental processing during the actual decision moment, while ensuring accuracy through automated rather than manual computation.
3Ease of operation
If oversimplified visualizations are used, then ease of understanding is improved, but completeness of information and ability to assess tradeoffs equally is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the complex decision information into multiple hierarchical levels of visualization. The system provides both high-level summary views (for ease of understanding) and detailed breakdowns (for complete information). Different visual elements can be expanded or collapsed, allowing users to access complete ranges of outcomes and detailed tradeoff assessments while maintaining an intuitive overall structure that preserves ease of understanding.
Solution Approach 2:
The system adds visual dimensions (such as color intensity, graph size, positional encoding) to represent multiple criteria and outcome ranges simultaneously. Rather than oversimplifying to single-point estimates, the visualizations use multi-dimensional graphical representations that encode complete information about tradeoffs across all criteria while remaining visually intuitive. This resolves the contradiction by preserving information completeness through additional visual encoding dimensions rather than simplification.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein is a computer-implemented method comprising: aggregating option evaluation data for a plurality of options and for a plurality of predefined criteria; graphically displaying the user modifiable chart comprising the plurality of graphical representations of the aggregated option evaluation data, wherein: each graphical representation depicts data points visually plotted with weights, the plurality of graphical representations for the plurality of predefined criteria are visually ordered according to a rank of the plurality of predefined criteria, and the weights are based on the rank of the plurality of predefined criteria; detecting a first user input modifying the rank of at least one predefined criterion; in accordance with the first user input, automatically updating the weights of the data points; and displaying an updated user modifiable chart comprising the plurality of graphical representations of the aggregated option evaluation data.