Reflections on the cross-platform semiotic inspection method

Abstract

Evaluating cross-platform systems can be quite challenging. Unfortunately, despite the increasing number of such systems and therefore growing need for evaluation methods, little work has been done on the matter. We have extended the Semiotic Inspection Method (SIM), a Semiotic Engineering evaluation method, to evaluate cross-platform systems, producing the CP-SIM variant. However, despite its support in identifying and classifying several potential issues particular to cross-platform systems, the cross-platform aspects of the method (called 'horizontal analysis') were only briefly illustrated by an analytical study in the original work. This paper provides deeper reflection and a more detailed account of the horizontal analysis in order to support evaluators in using the method. It also situates CP-SIM among related work on cross-platform system evaluation. © 2014 Springer International Publishing.