Model-driven design

Why models matter to users

When a design is based on a model that reflects the basic concerns of the users and domain experts, the bones of the design can be revealed to the user to a greater extent than with other design approaches. Revealing the model gives the user more access to the potential of the software and yields consistent, predictable behavior.

Hands-on modelers

Manufacturing is a popular metaphor for software development. One inference from this metaphor: highly skilled engineers design; less skilled laborers assemble the products. This metaphor has messed up a lot of projects for one simple reason — software development is all design. All teams have specialized roles for members, but overseparation of responsibility for analysis, modeling, design, and programming interferes with MODEL-DRIVEN DESIGN.

Eric Evans, "Binding Model and Implementation", in Domain-Driven Design: Tackling Complexity in the Heart of Software, 59-60.