UML is not ready for users, finds seminar

The Usability and UML seminar in Scotland this month concluded that basic UML (User Modelling Language) is seriously restricted, and restricting, in modelling complex, collaborative human activities involving computer-based systems.

Many of the speakers, including Philippe Palanque (University of Toulouse), Dave Roberts (IBM) and Peter Johnson (University of Bath), discussed the suitability of UML for modelling interactive aspects of systems, particularly those aspects which involved user interaction. There was a strong view that basic UML is not up to the task of modelling highly interactive aspects of systems.

Speakers, including Gerd Szwillus (University of Paderborn) and Lachlan Mackinnon (Heriot-Watt University) proposed various approaches to overcoming this deficit. Suggestions included extending UML using its own extension mechanisms, assigning one’s own semantics to parts of the UML notation, and tool support for modelling interaction with UML.

In a wide-ranging and cogent talk, Perdita Stevens (University of Edinburgh) examined features of the language, UML, and of tools to support its use, considering the usability of each at several different levels. She drew out the distinction between the usability of UML itself and the use of UML to model usable applications.

In addition to technical issues, Stevens highlighted the organisational and political obstacles to developing UML as a highly usable language for modelling highly usable interactive applications. Many stakeholder groups, from business software developers to usability consultants, have diverse, and sometimes conflicting, views on what UML is for and how it should develop. In Stevens’ view, those with the strongest interest in developing UML for effective modelling of interactive applications have the least influence on the shaping of UML. That is perhaps something which could profitably be changed – profitably, that is, for all stakeholders.

The seminar on Usability and UML took place on 18 January 2002 at the University of Edinburgh. Visit the related UN news story: Feature: Use, Usability and UML. The organisers were the British HCI Group (Alistair Kilgour)and ScotlandIS Usability Forum (Judith Ramsay). The meeting was chaired by Tom McEwan of Napier University.

Talks included:
- Introduction to UML and its relation to task modelling
- UML and the engineering of interactive systems
- From UML to UIML: bridging the interface gap
- UML, ethnography and design
- How tools can, do, might and should affect modellers’ use of UML
- Using UML to model multiple users and collaborative tasks
- Considering extensions to UML
- Building and sustaining a usability and UML community

Associated Link: Slides of the talks at the seminar

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