It is useful, and can be overused. I find many software engineers, including myself, have a hard time communicating coherently and specifically the detail of t

It is useful, and can be overused. I find many software engineers, including myself, have a hard time communicating coherently and specifically the detail of their plans, in my years as a SWE in the fun-startup-space I've enjoyed working. There are ambiguities embedded in many design challenges, and they interfere with UML has been a great way to talk about parameters, data flow, and ownership. I use it for bits and bobs of the conversation, and to help break down problems for distributing the work amongst team members. I don't pre-plan entire projects with UML, though that could be influenced more by business-requirements than the pros and cons of UML.