CRESustain: Approach to Include Sustainability and Creativity in Requirements Engineering
by Clara Silveira1,* 
, Vitor Santos 2 , Leonilde Reis 3 , Henrique Mamede 4
1 Scholl of Technology and Management, Polytechnic of Guarda, Guarda, 6300-559, Portugal
2 NOVA Information Management School (NOVA IMS), Lisboa, 1070-312, Portugal
3 School of Business Administration, Polytechnic Institute of Setúbal, Setúbal, 2914-503, Portugal
4 INESC TEC, Universidade Aberta, Lisboa, 1269-001, Portugal
* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Journal of Engineering Research and Sciences, Volume 1, Issue 8, Page # 27-34, 2022; DOI: 10.55708/js0108004
Keywords: Creativity, Requirements Engineering, Sustainability, Sustainable Development Goals
Received: 03 June 2022, Revised: 03 August 2022, Accepted: 16 August 2022, Published Online: 29 August 2022
APA Style
Silveira, C., Santos, V., Reis, L., & Mamede, H. (2022). CRESustain: Approach to Include Sustainability and Creativity in Requirements Engineering. Journal of Engineering Research and Sciences, 1(8), 27–34. https://doi.org/10.55708/js0108004
Chicago/Turabian Style
Silveira, Clara, Vitor Santos, Leonilde Reis, and Henrique Mamede. “CRESustain: Approach to Include Sustainability and Creativity in Requirements Engineering.” Journal of Engineering Research and Sciences 1, no. 8 (August 1, 2022): 27–34. https://doi.org/10.55708/js0108004.
IEEE Style
C. Silveira, V. Santos, L. Reis, and H. Mamede, “CRESustain: Approach to Include Sustainability and Creativity in Requirements Engineering,” Journal of Engineering Research and Sciences, vol. 1, no. 8, pp. 27–34, Aug. 2022, doi: 10.55708/js0108004.
Requirements Engineering is an evolving field facing new challenges. One of the central conundrums is sustainability in software. The possibility of using known creativity techniques while introducing the dimensions of sustainability to help provide unexpected, original, practical, and sustainable answers in software development is challenging and motivating. This paper proposes an approach, CRESustain, incorporating sustainability dimensions when introducing creativity techniques in the Requirements Engineering process. CRESustain uses various creativity techniques considered appropriate for the different stages of the RE process. It is inspired by the Sustainable Development Goals, creative problem-solving methods, and the Karlskrona Manifesto. The methodology applied to give materiality to the outcome of this work was Design Science Research, a research paradigm that uses knowledge to solve problems, generate new knowledge and insights, and results in an artefact. The main results indicate that the approach stimulates discussion about sustainability in technical, economic, social, human, and environmental dimensions focusing on the Sustainable Development Goals and people’s needs.
- C. Silveira, V. Santos, L. Reis, H. Mamede, “A new Approach to Sustainability and Creativity in Requirements Engineering,” 16th Iberian Conference on Information Systems and Technologies (CISTI), pp. 1–6, 2021, doi:10.23919/CISTI52073.2021.9476532
- D. Callele, K. Wnuk, B. Penzenstadler, “New Frontiers for Requirements Engineering,” IEEE 25th International Requirements Engineering Conference (RE), pp. 184-193, 2017, doi: 10.1109/RE.2017.23.
- I. Jacobson, H. Lawson, P.-W. Ng, P. E. McMahon, M. Goedicke, The Essentials of Modern Software Engineering: Free the Practices from the Method Prisons, ACM Books, 2019.
- A. Aldave, J. Vara, D. Granada, E. Marcos, “Leveraging creativity in requirements elicitation within agile software development: A systematic literature review,” Journal of Systems and Software, vol. 157:110396, 2019, doi:10.1016/j.jss.2019.110396.
- S. Thew, A. Sutcliffe, “Value-based requirements engineering: method and experience,” Requirements Engineering, vol. 23, pp. 443–464, 2018, doi:10.1007/s00766-017-0273-y.
- K. Peffers, T. Tuunanen, M. Rothenberger, S. Chatterjee, “A Design Science Research Methodology for Information Systems Research,” Journal of Management Information Systems, vol. 3, no. 24, pp. 45-78, 2007, doi: 10.2753/MIS0742-1222240302.
- K. Peffers, T. Tuunanen, B. Niehaves, “Design science research genres: introduction to the special issue on exemplars and criteria for applicable design science research,” European Journal of Information Systems, 27:2, pp. 129-139, 2018, doi: 10.1080/0960085X.2018.1458066.
- K. Carstensen, J. Bernhard, “Design science research – a powerful tool for improving methods in engineering education research,” European Journal of Engineering Education, vol. 44, no. 1–2, pp. 85–102, 2019, doi: 10.1080/03043797.2018.1498459.
- P. Loucopoulos, E. Kavakli, J. Mascolo, “Requirements Engineering for Cyber Physical Production Systems: The e-CORE approach and its application,” Information Systems, vol. 104, 2022, doi:10.1016/j.is.2020.101677.
- T. Bhowmik, “Creativity in Requirements Engineering: Why and How?,” IEEE Software Blog, 2016.
- M. Mahaux, L. Nguyen, l. Mich, A. Mavin, “A framework for understanding collaborative creativity in requirements engineering: Empirical validation,” 4th Int. Work. on Empirical Requirements Engineering (EmpiRE), pp. 48-55, 2014, doi: 10.1109/EmpiRE.2014.6890116.
- N. Maiden, S. Jones, K. Karlsen, R. Neill, K. Zachos, A. Milne, “Requirements engineering as creative problem solving: A research agenda for idea finding,” International Requirements Engineering Conference, pp. 57-66, 2010, doi: 10.1109/RE.2010.16.
- O. Hoffmann, D. Cropley, A. Cropley, L. Nguyen, P. Swatman, “Creativity, Requirements and Perspectives,” AJIS, vol. 13, no.1, 2005, doi: 10.3127/ajis.v13i1.69.
- R. Hegde, G. S. Walia, “How to Enhance the Creativity of Software Developers: A Systematic Literature Review,” International Conference on Software Engineering and Knowledge Engineering, SEKE 2014, pp. 229-234, 2014.
- R. Mohanani, P. Ram, A. Lasisi, P. R. a. B. Turhan, “Perceptions of Creativity in Software Engineering Research and Practice,” 43rd Euromicro Conference on Software Engineering and Advanced Applications (SEAA), pp. 210-217, 2017, doi: 10.1109/SEAA.2017.21.
- T. Bhowmik, N. Niu, A. Mahmoud, J. Savolainen, “Automated Support for Combinational Creativity in Requirements Engineering,” International Requirements Engineering Conference (RE), pp. 243-252, 2014, doi: 10.1109/RE.2014.6912266.
- L. Nguyen, G. Shanks, “A framework for understanding creativity in requirements engineering,” Information and Software Technology, vol. 51, no.3, p. 655–662, 2009, doi: 10.1016/j.infsof.2008.09.002.
- L. Nguyen, P. Swatman, “Promoting and Supporting Requirements Engineering Creativity,” Rationale Management in Software Engineering, pp. 209-230, 2006, doi: 10.1007/978-3-540-30998-7_10.
- C. Becker, R. Chitchyan, L. Duboc, S. Easterbrook, B. Penzenstadler, N. Seyff, C. Venters, “Sustainability Design and Software: The Karlskrona Manifesto,” Proc. 37th International Conference on Software Engineering (ICSE 15), pp. 467-476, 2015, doi: 10.1109/ICSE.2015.179.
- S. Oyedeji, B. Penzenstadler, “Experiences from Applying the Karlskrona Manifesto Principles for Sustainability in Software System Design,” Proceedings of the 8th International Workshop on Requirements Engineering for Sustainable Systems, 2020.
- C. Becker, S. Betz, R. Chitchyan, L. E. S. Duboc, B. Penzenstadler, N. Seyff, C. Venters, “Requirements: The Key to Sustainability,” IEEE Software, vol. 33, no. 1, pp. 56-65, 2016, doi: 10.1109/MS.2015.158.
- B. Ovelheiro, C. Silveira, L. Reis, “Sustainability Design Applied to the Digital Signature of Documents,” Handbook of Research on Multidisciplinary Approaches to Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and ICTs, IGI Global, pp. 349-374, 2021, doi:10.4018/978-1-7998-4099-2.ch016.
- United Nations Development Programme, “Sustainable Development Goals,” 2015. [Online]. Available: www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/sustainable-development-goals.html. [Accessed 02 12 2019].
- J. Cohen, D. S. Katz, M. Barker, N. C. Hong, R. Haines, C. Jay, “The Four Pillars of Research Software Engineering,” IEEE Software, vol. 38, no. 1, pp. 97-105, 2021, doi:10.1109/MS.2020.2973362.
- A. M. Kanzola, P. E. Petrakis, “Τhe Sustainability of Creativity,” Sustainability, vol. 13, no. 5, 2776, 2021, doi: 10.3390/su13052776.
- H. d’Orville, “The relationship between sustainability and creativity,” Cadmus, vol. 4, no. 1, pp. 65-73, 2019.
- S. Oyedeji, A. Seffah, B. Penzenstadler, “A Catalogue Supporting Software Sustainability Design,” Sustainability, vol. 10, no. 7, 2296, 2018, doi: 10.3390/su10072296.
- K. Roher, D. Richardson, “Sustainability requirement patterns,” 3rd International Workshop on Requirements Patterns (RePa), pp. 8-11, 2013, doi: 10.1109/RePa.2013.6602665.
- A. Imran, T. Kosar, “Software Sustainability: A Systematic Literature Review and Comprehensive Analysis,” rXiv preprint arXiv:1910.06109, 2019.
- A. Fonseca, R. Kazman, P. Lago, “A manifesto for energy-aware software,” IEEE Software, vol. 36, no. 6, pp. 79-82, 2019, doi: 10.1109/MS.2019.2924498.
- L. Duboc, B. Penzenstadler, J. Porras, S. Akinli Kocak, S. Betz, R. Chitchyan, C. C. Venters, “Requirements engineering for sustainability: an awareness framework for designing software systems for a better tomorrow,” Requirements Engineering, vol. 25, no. 4, pp. 469-492, 2020, doi:10.1007/s00766-020-00336-y.
- V. Santos, Criatividade em Sistemas de Informação, Lisboa: FCA, 2018.
- C. Silveira, L. Reis, V. Santos, H. Mamede, “Creativity in Prototypes Design: The case of Social Organizations,” CISTI’2020 – 15th Iberian Conference on Information Systems and Technologies, pp. 1-6, 2020, doi: 10.23919/CISTI49556.2020.9140870.
- V. Santos, H. Mamede, C. Silveira, L. Reis, “Methodology for Introducing Creativity in Requirements Engineering,” Procedia Computer Science Journal, vol. 196, pp. 27-35, 2022, doi: 10.1016/j.procs.2021.11.069.
- A. Osborn, Applied Imagination: Principles and Procedures of Creative Problem-Solving, Creative Education Foundation, 1963.
- T. Hurson, Think Better: An Innovator’s Guide to Productive Thinking, New York: McGraw-Hill, 2007.
- S. Malhotra, “Empathy Mapping | Fulfilling User Needs with Digital Designs,” 2019 . [Online]. Available: https://www.oodlesstudio.com/blog/empathy-mapping-ux-ui-consulting-services/.
- S. Adolph, P. Bramble, Patterns for Effective Use Cases, Addison-WesleyPearson Education, 2003.
- C. Silveira, L. Reis, “Sustainability in Information and Communication Technologies,” Research Anthology on Measuring and Achieving Sustainable Development Goals, IGI Global, pp. 771-792, 2022, doi: 10.4018/978-1-6684-3885-5.ch041.
- L. Reis, C. Silveira, L. Carvalho, C. Mata, “Digitalization as a Key Issue of the Circular Economy to Promote Sustainability: Prototyping Design for Homeless People,” Research Anthology on Measuring and Achieving Sustainable Development Goals, IGI Global, pp. 270-296, 2022, doi: 10.4018/978-1-6684-3885-5.ch014.
- J. Torres, D. Julio, C. Silveira, L. Reis, “Diabetes Tracker and Volunteer+ Software Engineering for Sustainability,” Digitalization as a Driver for Smart Economy in the Post-COVID-19 Era, IGI Global, pp. 198-227, 2022, doi: 10.4018/978-1-7998-9227-4.ch011.
- Design Sustainability, “Cognatio – Medication Adherence,” The Karlskrona Manifesto for Sustainability Design, 2021. [Online]. Available: https://www.sustainabilitydesign.org/2015/08/28/cognatio-medication-adherence/. [Accessed 20 01 2021].
- C. Silveira, L. Reis, L. Carvalho, C. Tomé, P. Sanches, “Sustentabilidade Multidimensional na promoção da Igualdade de Género na Ciência/Tecnologia,” Innovative Driving Marketing for a Better World. The Emergence of Social Proposals in Pandemic Times, pp. 119-125, 2021.
- R. Trotsyuk, V. Santos, “The Enterprise DNA: Static and Dynamic Digital Representation of Organizations,” International Journal of Engineering and Advanced Technology, vol. 8, no. 6, pp. 5034-5038, 2019, doi: 10.35940/ijeat.B5552.088619.
