The DDI specification of the future will be based on an information model. This is a common strategy for standards development and it offers several benefits: improved communication with other disciplines and standards efforts, flexibility in terms of technical expressions of the model, and streamlined development and maintenance, among others. Goals for the new model-based specification include: * Robust and persistent information model * Complete data life cycle coverage * Broadened focus on new research domains * Simpler specification that is easier to understand and use, including better documentation Development of the model has already begun with a recent "sprint" held in Germany in October 2013. This session will provide an overview of the modeling project with an emphasis on both content and technical perspectives.