Towards Immersive Environments for Declarative Process Models

Declarative Process Models (DPMs) provide a visual representation of processes based on rules, yet novice users often struggle to understand them, associating representations with imperative flows. This study explores a novel approach by investigating the potential of leveraging 3D gaming environments to represent and execute processes. We conducted semi-structured interviews with experts in 3D modeling, game development, visual arts, and process management to elicit metaphors explaining process behaviors. These metaphors informed the creation of an artifact representing DPMs in 3D worlds in canonical and domain-specific representations. Our validation phase involved think-aloud sessions and semi-structured interviews with novice users to assess their perception and understanding of processes depicted in 3D environments. Results suggest a positive impact of 3D process representations on users’ understanding of declarative process models, with a preference for domain-specific 3D representations. This research contributes to advancing process modeling by addressing challenges faced by novice users and offering innovative solutions within the realm of 3D representations.