Evaluation criteria for engineering notations based on information design principles: a preliminary study

Abstract

Notations used in particle and rigid body kinematics and dynamics, subjects taught in Engineering courses,
are usually problematic. These problems vary in severity and nature, being the most relevant: arbitrarity, poor
differentiation, and even inconsistency, both conceptual and structural. The present paper, an exploratory
study, proposes design and evaluation criteria for engineering notations, particularly the abovementioned
ones. These criteria are based on information design principles. Three grouping categories have been
adopted: scope, information structure and visual design. It is expected that the application of such criteria
would contribute to the development of notations whose graphic and diagrammatic mechanisms guarantee
information hierarchy, structural logic and good discriminability. The potencial educational benefits associated
with the criteria are identified and the limits of application of the presented solutions are also discussed. Lastly,
some examples of notations are presented and their main problems highlighted based on the proposed
criteria.