The ODD (Overview, Design Concepts, Details) protocol began in 2006 as a standard for describing agent-based ecological models and is now widely used in many disciplines. Updates in 2010 and 2020 provided detailed usage guidance. Numerous extensions have customized ODD for specific disciplines and model types. ODD has proven valuable for guiding model design and development by providing a checklist of concepts to think about explicitly, and for reviewing models. The ODD experience indicates that successful standards focus on specific parts of the model life cycle, have a clear purpose and facilitate communication within and outside of the modelling team. Future directions may include developing ODD-like standards for other model types and coupled modelling systems. The lessons from ODD point to a need for modelling standards across all areas of science, providing a common foundation for greater transparency, reproducibility, communication, responsibility, and coherence in scientific modelling.