What term describes a descriptive and visual way to provide information supporting analysis, communication, and understanding?

The term that describes a descriptive and visual way to provide information supporting analysis, communication, and understanding is "model." In the context of requirements analysis and design, a model serves as an abstract representation of some aspect of a system or process. It helps stakeholders visualize and comprehend complex systems, facilitating better communication and analysis among team members and other stakeholders.

Models can take various forms, such as diagrams, flowcharts, or mathematical formulas, but they ultimately serve the purpose of simplifying reality to enhance understanding. By providing a clear, concise overview, models enable teams to identify relationships, constraints, and opportunities within the system being analyzed, making them a crucial tool in requirements analysis and design definition.

While elements like diagrams may contribute to visual representation, they are typically subsets or specific forms within the broader category of models. Frameworks and templates also play significant roles in structuring and guiding work processes, but they do not emphasize the descriptive and visual aspect in the same way that models do, which focus explicitly on abstraction and representation for understanding and analysis.