Transforming descriptions and diagrams to sketches in information system design

Barbara Tversky, James E. Corter, Jeffrey V. Nickerson, Doris Zahner, Yun Jin Rho

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

5 Scopus citations

Abstract

Sketching is integral to information systems design. Designers need to become fluent in translating verbal descriptions of systems to a variety of kinds of sketches, notably sequential and logical, and to translate among the kinds. Here, we investigated these cognitive skills in design students, asking them to design a system configuration starting from either a sequential diagram or a sequential description. Although the two source descriptions were logically equivalent, the diagram led to designs that corresponded more closely to the source description - that is, designs with fewer omissions of crucial components and links. Text descriptions led to more variable and less accurate designs, most likely because they require more cognitive steps from problem representation to problem solution.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationDiagrammatic Representation and Inference - 5th International Conference, Diagrams 2008, Proceedings
Pages242-256
Number of pages15
DOIs
StatePublished - 2008
Event5th International Conference on Diagrammatic Representation and Inference, Diagrams 2008 - Herrsching, Germany
Duration: 19 Sep 200821 Sep 2008

Publication series

NameLecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics)
Volume5223 LNAI
ISSN (Print)0302-9743
ISSN (Electronic)1611-3349

Conference

Conference5th International Conference on Diagrammatic Representation and Inference, Diagrams 2008
Country/TerritoryGermany
CityHerrsching
Period19/09/0821/09/08

Keywords

  • Descriptions
  • Diagrammatic reasoning
  • Information systems design
  • Problem representation
  • Sketches
  • Topological diagrams

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