Exploring the Understandability of a Hybrid Process Design Artifact Based on DCR Graphs

Process design artifacts (e.g., process models, textual process descriptions and simulations) are increasingly used to provide input for requirements elicitation and to facilitate the design of business processes. To support the understandability of process models and make them accessible for end-users with different backgrounds, several hybrid representations combining different design artifacts have been proposed in the literature. This paper investigates the understandability of DCR-HR, a new hybrid process design artifact based on DCR graphs. Using eye-tracking and think-aloud techniques, this paper explores the benefits and challenges associated with the use of different design artifacts and investigates the way end-users engage with them. The results motivate the use of DCR-HR and provide insights about the support it provides to end-users with different backgrounds.