Visual syntax does matter: improving the cognitive effectiveness of the i* visual notation

Moody, Daniel L. and Heymans, Patrick and Matulevicius, Raimundas (2010) Visual syntax does matter: improving the cognitive effectiveness of the i* visual notation. Requirements Engineering, 15 (2). 141 - 175. ISSN 0947-3602

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Abstract:	Goal-oriented modelling is one of the most important research developments in the requirements engineering (RE) field. This paper conducts a systematic analysis of the visual syntax of i, one of the leading goal-oriented languages. Like most RE notations, i is highly visual. Yet surprisingly, there has been little debate about or modification to its graphical conventions since it was proposed more than a decade ago. We evaluate the i* visual notation using a set of principles for designing cognitively effective visual notations (the Physics of Notations). The analysis reveals some serious flaws in the notation together with some practical recommendations for improvement. The results can be used to improve its effectiveness in practice, particularly for communicating with end users. A broader goal of the paper is to raise awareness about the importance of visual representation in RE research, which has historically received little attention.
Item Type:	Article
Copyright:	© 2010 The Author(s)
Faculty:	Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science (EEMCS) Management and Governance (SMG)
Research Chair:	Design & Implementation of Information Systems (ISCM)
Research Group:	Industrial Engineering & Business Information Systems (IEBIS)
Link to this item:	http://purl.utwente.nl/publications/73701
Official URL:	http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00766-010-0100-1
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