With a clear project vision, well-defined scope, articulated problem context, and a solid map of stakeholders and user types already established in Module 1, you are now ready to answer one of the most powerful questions in requirements engineering:
“What does the system actually do, from the users’ point of view?”
This is the heart of initial use case modeling—the moment you shift from describing why the system exists to defining what goals it helps people achieve. Use cases capture functional requirements in a user-centric, goal-oriented way that is understandable to both business stakeholders and technical teams. They serve as the central thread that ties together every subsequent artifact: detailed specifications, activity & sequence diagrams, class models, test cases, and documentation.
In traditional approaches, identifying use cases can be time-consuming and error-prone—teams often produce incomplete, overlapping, or overly technical lists after days of brainstorming. Visual Paradigm’s AI-Powered Use Case Modeling Studio radically accelerates and improves this phase by combining human insight with intelligent automation:
- You start by thinking about actors (people and external systems identified in Module 1) and their high-level goals.
- The AI suggests candidate use cases based on the scope statement, problem description, and stakeholder map.
- It presents them in a clean, structured table for easy review.
- With one click, it generates a professional Use Case Diagram that visually shows actors connected to their goals—giving you an instant, shareable overview of system functionality.
The result is not just faster modeling, but higher-quality starting points: the AI draws on UML best practices and common domain patterns to propose meaningful, appropriately scoped use cases while leaving full control in your hands to accept, reject, merge, split, or rename suggestions.
Core Activities in Initial Use Case Modeling
This module focuses on three tightly connected activities:
- Brainstorming actors and their high-level goals — building directly on the stakeholder/user map from Module 1.
- Generating and reviewing candidate use cases — letting the AI propose a strong initial set in seconds.
- Visualizing the big picture — automatically creating a Use Case Diagram that communicates system boundaries and functionality at a glance.
These steps produce the first major deliverable of the use-case-driven approach: a high-level Use Case Diagram and an initial list of use cases that everyone can understand and debate.
Practical Examples
Example 1: GourmetReserve – Mobile Dining Reservation App
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Input to AI: Scope statement + problem description + stakeholder map (diners, restaurant staff, payment gateway, etc.).
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AI-Suggested Candidate Use Cases (shown in a reviewable table):
Use Case Name Primary Actor Goal / Value Delivered Priority Search for Available Tables Diner Find restaurants and open slots quickly High Book a Table Diner Reserve a specific table at a chosen time High Pre-order Meal Diner Select dishes in advance to reduce wait time at arrival Medium Cancel Reservation Diner Free up the slot if plans change (with possible fee) Medium Receive Booking Reminder Diner Get notified before arrival Medium Manage Reservations Restaurant Staff View, confirm, modify or cancel bookings High Prepare Kitchen for Orders Restaurant Staff See pre-orders to stage ingredients Medium Process Payment Payment Gateway Handle secure transaction for deposit or full payment High -
AI instantly generates a Use Case Diagram showing:
- Diner connected to Search, Book, Pre-order, Cancel, Receive Reminder
- Restaurant Staff connected to Manage Reservations and Prepare Kitchen
- Payment Gateway as a secondary actor connected to Process Payment
- Clear system boundary box labeled “GourmetReserve”
This diagram immediately reveals whether critical goals are covered and highlights potential gaps (e.g., “What about waitlist handling?”).
Example 2: SecureATM – Next-Generation ATM Network
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AI-Suggested Use Cases (partial list):
Use Case Name Primary Actor Goal / Value Delivered Withdraw Cash Retail Customer Obtain physical currency quickly and securely Check Account Balance Retail Customer View current funds without visiting a branch Transfer Funds Retail Customer Move money between own accounts or to others Deposit Check Small Business Owner Add funds via check scanning Authenticate User Retail Customer Prove identity via card + PIN / biometrics Replenish Cash Cassettes Bank Operations Load money into the machine Monitor ATM Status Bank Operations Detect jams, low cash, hardware faults -
Resulting Use Case Diagram shows clear separation between customer-initiated goals and operations/maintenance goals, helping stakeholders see that security (Authenticate User) is foundational and reused across many customer use cases.
Example 3: CorpLearn – Corporate E-Learning Platform
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AI-Suggested Use Cases:
- Enroll in Course (Employee)
- View Learning Path (Employee)
- Complete Assessment (Employee)
- Track Progress & View Certificate (Employee)
- Upload New Course Content (HR/Training Admin)
- Assign Mandatory Training (HR/Training Admin)
- Generate Compliance Report (Compliance Officer / Manager)
- Authenticate via SSO (External Identity Provider)
The diagram visually groups employee-facing vs. admin-facing functionality, making it easy to spot missing pieces (e.g., “approve training request” for managers).
Why This Step Is Transformative
Even with AI acceleration, initial use case modeling remains fundamentally human-led: you decide which goals matter most, you refine names so they resonate with stakeholders, and you ensure the diagram reflects real business priorities. The AI removes the blank-page paralysis and proposes sensible starting points based on your earlier inputs—letting you focus on validation, prioritization, and domain-specific nuance.
By the end of Module 2, you will have:
- A curated list of candidate use cases
- A clear, professional Use Case Diagram
- A shared understanding of the system’s primary responsibilities from the users’ perspective
This high-level model becomes the foundation for refinement (Module 3), detailed specification (Module 4), and full behavioral & structural design (Module 5). You’ve now moved from “why are we building this?” to “what exactly are we building?”—and done so faster and more reliably than ever before.