Delivering the potential of diagrammatic logics

Diagrammatic notations and reasoning have become a prominent focus of research over the last two decades. We have now reached a point where the techniques required to formalize diagrammatic logics and prove meta-level results, such as soundness and completeness, are well understood. Moreover, we have insight into what makes effective diagrams. However, the majority of progress has been on diagrammatic logics that are very limited in expressiveness. Whilst such logics are exemplars of the current state-of-the-art and are useful in simple cases, they remain somewhat far from realising the full potential of diagrammatic logics in the real world. In this talk, I will present a new diagrammatic logic, called concept diagrams, that has the level of expressiveness required to be applicable in industrial settings. In addition, I will describe how a more unified approach to diagrams research is necessary in order to fulfil the huge potential of diagrammatic notations. In particular, I will talk about the need for software tools to support the creation and use of diagrammatic logics, without which real-world take-up will be limited. Significant research is still necessary to deliver a unified approach and to achieve the vision for realising the full potential of diagrams.