WebML + for Communication of Information Flows: An Empirical Study

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.