Using the Physics of Notations Theory to Evaluate the Visual Notation of SEAM

Modeling languages are used to make models that are commonly used in communicating about real-life situations such as the modeling of business and IT requirements in organizations. A way to evaluate how effective the modeling languages are for communicating their intended messages is to use the set of nine principles defined in the Physics of Notations Theory (PoNT, Moody). PoNT helps designers evaluate the notation of modeling languages and provides guidelines for improving it. We apply this theory to evaluate the visual notation of a systemic method, the Systemic Enterprise Architecture Methodology (SEAM) that is designed to model business and IT requirements. In order to make the SEAM notation more cognitively effective, we identify some notation limitations and provide specific recommendations for improvement for each of the nine PoNT principles.