Comments on: Why Do We Need Visual Models ? (Part 2) http://www.ashoknare.com/2009/04/05/why-do-we-need-visual-models-part-2/ Thoughts and random rants about technology, business and people Tue, 28 Apr 2009 20:46:02 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Ashok Nare http://www.ashoknare.com/2009/04/05/why-do-we-need-visual-models-part-2/comment-page-1/#comment-24 Ashok Nare Thu, 09 Apr 2009 14:40:01 +0000 http://www.ashoknare.com/?p=137#comment-24 Isn't imagining a version of "thinking" though ! My take is -- everyone does "think" visually and creative (right-brain dominant) people can imagine and express better than the rest of us. All of us do have the capabilities to think visually and express visual thoughts -- the creative can express the thoughts better than the rest of us. I can doodle a sketch of my thoughts -- and most of the time I am the only one that can make any sense out of it :-).....but that does not mean that I am not thinking visually though ! To me, lateral thinking also is part of "thinking" and when we think there is a combination of logical and visual thinking. As I mentioned in my earlier comment, people with dominant left brain do think in terms of logical steps (with visual mixed in) and right brain dominant people think more visually (with logical mixed in) -- and what we do and how we are trained to do the job we are doing also affects the way we think. Taking the software world for example, most of the software developers are trained to think in terms of steps of code instead of visual models. An architect, on the other hand, need to see the big picture and has to visualize the architecture to make sense of all the moving parts. On the other spectrum, there are graphic designers, who are creative, think and imagine visually more so compared to the rest of the roles in the spectrum. With the introduction of MDD or Executable UML into the development process, a developer also is trained to use the visual side of the brain more compared to traditional development processes. Ashok Isn’t imagining a version of “thinking” though ! My take is — everyone does “think” visually and creative (right-brain dominant) people can imagine and express better than the rest of us. All of us do have the capabilities to think visually and express visual thoughts — the creative can express the thoughts better than the rest of us. I can doodle a sketch of my thoughts — and most of the time I am the only one that can make any sense out of it :-) …..but that does not mean that I am not thinking visually though !

To me, lateral thinking also is part of “thinking” and when we think there is a combination of logical and visual thinking. As I mentioned in my earlier comment, people with dominant left brain do think in terms of logical steps (with visual mixed in) and right brain dominant people think more visually (with logical mixed in) — and what we do and how we are trained to do the job we are doing also affects the way we think. Taking the software world for example, most of the software developers are trained to think in terms of steps of code instead of visual models. An architect, on the other hand, need to see the big picture and has to visualize the architecture to make sense of all the moving parts. On the other spectrum, there are graphic designers, who are creative, think and imagine visually more so compared to the rest of the roles in the spectrum. With the introduction of MDD or Executable UML into the development process, a developer also is trained to use the visual side of the brain more compared to traditional development processes.

Ashok

]]> By: Prashant http://www.ashoknare.com/2009/04/05/why-do-we-need-visual-models-part-2/comment-page-1/#comment-23 Prashant Thu, 09 Apr 2009 08:58:47 +0000 http://www.ashoknare.com/?p=137#comment-23 I wonder.... Nice article BTW But I wonder, do we really "think" visually? Or should we totally do away with the fact that no one thinks visually and that Visual people imagine better... To me thinking seems like a logical series of steps where as imagining allows you to make jumps and incorporate lateral thinking. With that distinction, Visual "thinkers" have the natual advantage of lateral thinking and being able to more creative... Any reactions to that? I wonder…. Nice article BTW

But I wonder, do we really “think” visually?
Or should we totally do away with the fact that no one thinks visually and that Visual people imagine better…

To me thinking seems like a logical series of steps where as imagining allows you to make jumps and incorporate lateral thinking. With that distinction, Visual “thinkers” have the natual advantage of lateral thinking and being able to more creative…

Any reactions to that?

]]> By: Ashok Nare http://www.ashoknare.com/2009/04/05/why-do-we-need-visual-models-part-2/comment-page-1/#comment-20 Ashok Nare Thu, 09 Apr 2009 06:07:21 +0000 http://www.ashoknare.com/?p=137#comment-20 Praveen, Thanks for the feedback. The intent of the two articles was to remain high level -- glad you could find the same concepts in other blogs and text books. My thoughts came from my 8 years of experience implementing business solutions using visual (executable) UML models. I am afraid blog posts are not the right medium to get into the details of how to do visual modeling -- that's what tutorials and demos are for. However, I do intend to do a post with specific focus on creating executable visual models sometime soon. In the mean time, if you would like more information, please check out the demos at the following URL: http://www.intelliun.com/Developers/OnlineDemonstrations Ashok Praveen,

Thanks for the feedback.

The intent of the two articles was to remain high level — glad you could find the same concepts in other blogs and text books. My thoughts came from my 8 years of experience implementing business solutions using visual (executable) UML models.

I am afraid blog posts are not the right medium to get into the details of how to do visual modeling — that’s what tutorials and demos are for. However, I do intend to do a post with specific focus on creating executable visual models sometime soon. In the mean time, if you would like more information, please check out the demos at the following URL:

http://www.intelliun.com/Developers/OnlineDemonstrations

Ashok

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