| The Interaction Flow Modeling Language� (IFML�) Resource Page Overview | Front-end design of software applications is a complex and multidisciplinary task. It requires skills spanning communication, graphical design, software development, system integration, usability and user experience interaction. Designing software front-ends is also becoming more and more important as an increasing variety of devices, technological platforms and communication channels become more connected. Using a properly designed user interface, people can navigate through complex Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) systems by visualizing data from connected sensors, actuators and intelligent devices through dashboard, reports, or infographics. The Interaction Flow Modeling Language� (IFML™) is an Object Management Group� (OMG�) visual modeling standard. The IFML standard makes it easier to develop user interfaces for software applications. It is a tool to visually express the front-end application�s content, interface composition, user interaction and control behavior. |  | Benefits Because IFML is platform-independent, designers can specify the user interface and user interaction options independently from the implementation technology and deployment platform. IFML diagrams let designers work with traditional web apps, rich internet applications, mobile apps, client-server systems, desktop applications, and multi-channel and context-aware software. The IFML standard complements other OMG modelling languages, including BPMN� and UML�. For example, it can be used to design the user interfaces to business logic specified using BPMN. You can also connect IFML user interface descriptions to the description of structural aspects of systems, for instance, UML models describing content and data, or deployment aspects, or dynamic aspects such as sequences of invocations of back-end services. IFML at Work The IFML standard is used in more by more than 250 customers in more than 40 countries. For example, a large fleet management company deployed IFML to completely redesign its customer-facing applications. Development time was cut by 70 percent. Designers were able to shift their focus from coding to requirement definitions, thereby increasing involvement by stakeholders and increasing the quality of the resulting software. Working at the modeling level also allowed the company to build a set of reusable assets and components, which can be reused across projects. With the IFML standard, a leading machine manufacturer easily built a full-featured B2B/B2C website with a content management system and content published in 12 languages; all in 22 weeks. Maintenance costs were cut by 80 percent and productivity increased three-fold. Learn more To learn more about the OMG IFML 1.0 standard, please visit https://www.omg.org/spec/IFML/. For questions regarding the IFML standard, please contact [email protected]. You can also view a slide presentation below. And watch a video interview below with OMG Chairman and CEO Richard Soley talking about modeling user interaction with the OMG IFML standard. Marco Brambilla, WebRatio and Piero Fraternali, Professor at Politecnico di Milano, authors of the IFML standard, wrote a book to explain the main concepts of the language. The book �Interaction Flow Modeling Language � Model-Driven UI Engineering of Web and Mobile Apps with IFML� introduces the reader to IFML. It is published by Morgan Kauffman � The OMG Press and is available on Amazon and on all the major online stores, as an ebook (PDF) and in Kindle format. (Dr. Richard M. Soley, chairman of the Object Management Group, wrote the foreword of the book). Find more about the book here, or buy it on Amazon. Useful IFML Link & Resource Video Tutorials and Seminar Want to learn more? Interested in contributing to the IFML standard? Contact our Business Development team at [email protected] to learn more about becoming an OMG member! About OMG The Object Management Group® (OMG®) is an international, open membership, not-for-profit computer industry standards consortium. OMG Task Forces develop enterprise integration standards for a wide range of technologies and an even wider range of industries. OMG�s modeling standards enable powerful visual design, execution and maintenance of software and other processes. Visit www.omg.org for more information. For a listing of all OMG trademarks, visit https://www.omg.org/legal/tm_list.htm. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. |
