Towards a Holistic Conceptual Modelling-Based Software Development Process

Traditionally, the Conceptual Modelling (CM) community has been interested in defining methods to model Information Systems by specifying their data and behaviour, disregarding user interaction. On the other hand, the Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) community has defined techniques oriented to the modelling of the interaction between the user and the system, proposing a user-centred software construction, but leaving out details on system data and behaviour. This paper aspires to reconcile both visions by integrating task modelling techniques using a sound, conceptual model-based software development process in a HCI context. The system is considered on its three axis (data, functionality and interaction), as a whole. The use of CTT (Concurrent Task Trees) embedded in a model-based approach makes it possible to establish mapping rules between task structure patterns that describe interaction and the elements of the abstract interface model. By defining such structural patterns, the CTT notation is much more manageable and productive; therefore, this HCI technique can be easily integrated in a well-established conceptual modelling approach. This proposal is underpinned by the MDA-based technology OlivaNova Method Execution, which allows real automatic software generation, while still taking user interface into account at an early requirements elicitation stage.