Analysing the cognitive effectiveness of the BPMN 2.0 visual notation

Abstract

BPMN 2.0 is an OMG standard and one of the leading process modelling notations. Although the current language specification recognises the importance of defining a visual notation carefully, it does so by relying on common sense, intuition and emulation of common practices, rather than by adopting a rigorous scientific approach. This results in a number of suboptimal language design decisions that may impede effective model-mediated communication between stakeholders. We demonstrate and illustrate this by looking at BPMN 2.0 through the lens of the Physics of Notations, a collection of evidence-based principles that together form a theory of notation design. This work can be considered a first step towards making BPMN 2.0's visual notation more cognitively effective. © 2011 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.