Abstract:
A key element in supporting the development of Web systems is suitable Web
modelling languages. Most existing work on Web modelling (such as WebML [1])
has focussed on understanding the structure of the information space and how
this relates to the underlying content.These approaches however have rarely
addressed the connection between detailed design aspects and the broader information
environment, particularly in terms of the flow of information between
the system, the organisation, and external entities.Work on information architectures
[2] address these issues to a limited extent, especially when incorporating
an understanding of user interactions and engagement with a site [3]. However
these models are rarely consistent with those used for lower level information
modeling. Our work to date has focused on the development of a notation (based
on extending WebML to incorporate abstract information flows and referred to
as WebML+) that addresses these limitations and bridges the gap between business
models and information design [4, 5]. This characteristic is crucial in Webdevelopment
where the systems under development often lead to fundamental
changes in business operations. In this paper we present the results of an empirical
evaluation of whether or not WebML+ provides more rapid and consistent
communication of information flows within Web system design processes.
