On the difference between analysis and design, and why it is relevant for the interpretation of models in Model Driven Engineering

In this paper we try to clarify the confusions that lie around the widely used terms “analysis model” and “design model” in software engineering. In our experience, these confusions are the root of some difficulties that practitioners encounter in system modeling, and sometimes lead to bad engineering practices. Our approach consists of placing the duality of analysis and design within a three-dimensional modeling space. Models are classified according to the reality they represent (first dimension), the purpose of the model (second dimension) and the abstraction level expressed in the model (third dimension). This classification facilitates the interpretation of models and the comprehension of model transformations as shiftings within this space.