&quot;whatever format most people immediately understand at first glance&quot;<p>Certainly that&#x27;s a useful starting point. The problem is in figuring that out when there are multiple, roughly similar representation.<p>But it also depends on the goal. Sometimes it&#x27;s better to learn a new format (Einstein notation, bra-ket notation, copy editing and proofreading symbols, modern staff notation for music, shorthand, etc.) than to use a system that a larger subset of people will understand immediately.<p>Forth is an example of a programming language which is developed for programmer productivity, on the assumption that the programmer will put in the effort to be proficient in the language.