1. Modeling on the Right Side of the Brain Leon Starr M O D E L I N T E G R A T I O N starr@modelint.com

2. ?

3. Copyright © 2001 Model Integration, LLC 3 Inspiration Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain by Betty Edwards ISBN: 0874774241

4. Copyright © 2001 Model Integration, LLC 4 Right vs. Left Intuitive, Perceptive, Metaphorical Logical, Symbolic, Sequential RIGHT LEFT

5. Copyright © 2001 Model Integration, LLC 5 Left brain draws a face

6. Copyright © 2001 Model Integration, LLC 6 Right brain draws a face

7. Copyright © 2001 Model Integration, LLC 7 But… Software development is an engineering process! Isn’t this gooey intuitive, perceptive stuff just for user interface designers?

8. Copyright © 2001 Model Integration, LLC 8 Right brain thinking is essential Perception Observation Reflection Metaphorical thinking Quality analysis depends upon right brain skills

9. Copyright © 2001 Model Integration, LLC 9 But the left brain dominates Model manipulation Pattern searching Half-brained abstraction Alone, left brain thinking produces models that don’t quite match reality

10. Why?

11. Copyright © 2001 Model Integration, LLC 11 Opposing paths toward a system Computer Bottom Up Application Top Down

12. Copyright © 2001 Model Integration, LLC 12 Bottom Up, Computer Centric Computer Assembly Application C C++ JavaBooch UNIX PSOS COM class array protocol header pointer The world of the programmer Increasing levels of abstraction 11001101

13. Copyright © 2001 Model Integration, LLC 13 Computer Centric Activities Package efficiently Use platform effectively Make best use of technology Invent cool mechanisms

14. Copyright © 2001 Model Integration, LLC 14 Top Down, Application Centric Computer Application Informal models reverse thruster landing gear arm indicator approach procedure engine The world of the analyst Increasing levels of executability Text requirements Executable models

15. Copyright © 2001 Model Integration, LLC 15 Application Centric Activities Specify requirements precisely Take detailed notes Interrogate subject matter experts Validate model against requirements Expose rules and policies Executable UML encourages this - right?

16. Copyright © 2001 Model Integration, LLC 16 Not necessarily… Computer Assembly Application C C++ Java Booch UNIX PSOS COM association event class identifier attribute The world of the XUML programmer Increasing levels of abstraction Executable UML reverse thruster landing gear arm indicator approach procedure engine 11001101

17. Copyright © 2001 Model Integration, LLC 17 To make matters worse… You’re my best programmer, but we’re doing UML now. So start building models. OK.

18. Promoting the Right Brain

19. Copyright © 2001 Model Integration, LLC 19 Solution Look for analysis talent or potential Look separately for modeling skills Don’t assume that object-oriented programmers are your best candidates

20. Copyright © 2001 Model Integration, LLC 20 Insufficient basis for abstraction Yeah, yeah, one of those linear pattern things. You just model it with an asymmetric reflexive, blah blah blah, and then we can inherit blah blah blah polymorphism blah blah. That little yellow guy sure is slow… hypothesize study interview data collection whiteboard

21. Copyright © 2001 Model Integration, LLC 21 Abstraction based on data So that’s what’s really going on! That blue guy’s such an idiot.

22. Copyright © 2001 Model Integration, LLC 22 Half brained analysis Lots of building blocks Lots of mechanisms Lots of implementation Casual attention to specific requirements

23. Copyright © 2001 Model Integration, LLC 23 Negative consequences No documentation Same meetings over and over Don’t see trouble until too late Models make implementation assumptions Unexpected changes to the models Models don’t extend easily Model hacking

24. Copyright © 2001 Model Integration, LLC 24 Right brained talent required Detailed perception Creative use of paradigms and metaphors Intuitive grasp of the big picture

25. Copyright © 2001 Model Integration, LLC 25 Specific analysis tasks Take detailed notes / illustrate constantly Collect data, re-organize data Present, get feedback, recycle Interrogate the experts Explore ideas before diving into model detail Create multiple solutions Recognize established theory - study

26. Copyright © 2001 Model Integration, LLC 26 Testing for analysis talent Model Hacker Test Technical Note Test Interrogation Test The Misleading Requirement Test Data Gathering Test Metaphor Comparison Test

27. Copyright © 2001 Model Integration, LLC 27 Testing for modeling talent Model a sequence or network Model an interaction/incident Find the normalization error Find the Function (disguised as a class) What’s this classes’s lifecycle? Express this “if-then rule” as an association Where’s the specification data?

28. Copyright © 2001 Model Integration, LLC 28 Potential analysts Application Experts GUI Developers Technical Writers Students Who knows? Leave no stone unturned!

29. Copyright © 2001 Model Integration, LLC 29 Focus the talent

30. Summary

31. Copyright © 2001 Model Integration, LLC 31 Left-brained modelers go bottom up. Complex, imprecise, unstable models.

32. Copyright © 2001 Model Integration, LLC 32 The easiest route is top down. But it requires ANALYSIS talent.

33. Copyright © 2001 Model Integration, LLC 33 Model on the right side of the brain. Focus on the analysis skills and tasks. Find and develop good analysts. Organize and focus the analysis effort. And the modeling will be EASY.