[karmakaze]

It's easy to test for in an interview. Just have them describe the solution to you.. at a high level. If it can only be described at the code level, or as a procedural description then there is no abstract model, only implementation.

Usually, I'll think about a problem, some of the inherent characteristics, or desired behaviours then choose some applicable techniques/technologies, languages, algorithms, libraries. Then think about how to compose the program from parts to be developed. This all happens naturally without conscious sequencing.

That's what's great about being current here, I find out about things I don't need to use yet but could be useful at a later time. Or discover something that would have made a past project better if I'd known of it.