Event Storming Workshops: A Closer Look at Different Approaches

Armed with the knowledge from our previous article on workshop preparation, we’re ready to shift our focus shifts to a crucial aspect of Event Storming: the diverse workshops it recommends. 

 

From Conception to Code

Event Storming serves as a strategic approach to gain a comprehensive understanding of the business domain, aiming to unveil as many uncertainties and complexities as possible prior to initiating design and implementation. Each phase of this process demands varying degrees of detail and breadth of information. At times, a broad overview suffices, while certain scenarios necessitate an in-depth exploration of the intricate aspects of specific requirements.

To accommodate the diverse needs of product development phases, Event Storming offers a three types of workshops. Each one is tailored with objectives, list of participants, a defined scope, and a depth of detail to be addressed:

• Big Picture – is designed to foster a high-level comprehension of the business domain. It is pivotal in developing a unified language, which in turn cultivates a collective comprehension among all involved. It’s also a critical juncture for identifying and delineating the boundaries within the domain.
  The workshop’s goal is not to achieve perfection or completeness, nor to present all information exhaustively. Instead, its primary focus is to surface a multitude of problems, challenges, and questions, emphasizing the identification of issues over the immediate pursuit of solutions.
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• Process Level – is dedicated to meticulously examining the process to ensure its integrity. Our objective is to resolve any queries and uncertainties that could influence the process. We aim to explore every conceivable variation, encompassing both the ‘sunny day’ and ‘rainy day’ scenarios.
  
  
• Design Level – our goal is to talk about all the important aspects in the part of the process we’re focusing on. We want to understand it so well that developers can start coding right after the workshop.

Big Picture

Objectives

• Achieve a broad understanding of the business domain.
• Identify and spotlight any hurdles, challenges, and unknowns.
• Foster a shared language among participants.
• Determine domains boundaries.
• Recognize key values and potential risks
• Define Bounded Contexts.
  
  

NOT our objectives

• Attain an exhaustive, detailed comprehension of every process.
• Provide answers to all posed questions.
  
  

Scope

Typically, we begin with an overarching view of the entire business domain. If necessary, subsequent sessions may focus on a more specific area.

Duration

Given the extensive information, the workshop can be quite lengthy. Efforts are made to ensure all participants can commit to one full day, allowing for 3-4 sessions, each lasting approximately 1.5 hours.

Participants

• A diverse group from various departments, bringing different experiences, perspectives, and roles.
• Individuals who may not interact regularly or may be unfamiliar with one another.
• Domain experts, architects, and team leaders with specialized knowledge.
• The size of the group can range significantly, from 10 to over 30 individuals.
  

Process Level

Objectives

• Make clear what might happen in the process.
• Gain a solid understanding of the process.
• Check that all possible situations and rules are correct.
• Answer important questions about how the process works.
• Validate Bounded Contexts
  
  

NOT our objectives

• Delve into the minutiae of each process step.
• Resolve questions that have no bearing on the process itself.
  
  

Scope

The focus is on the business process, including both its expected and adverse scenarios.

Duration

The workshop is expected to span 1-2 sessions, each lasting around 1.5 hours.

Participants

• Domain experts with in-depth knowledge of the process.
• Individuals actively engaged in the development of service(s) relevant to the process, such as architects, developers, and testers.

 

Design Level

Objectives

• Determine the necessary data for each step of the process.
• Establish the rules that need to be met throughout the process.
• Identify and define the Aggregates.
  
  

NOT our objectives

• Cataloging every piece of data in extreme detail—general categories like “personal data” are sufficient for now.
• Specifying every rule to the finest detail—for instance, simply stating “an address exists” is adequate at this stage.
  
  

Scope

The focus may be on a specific part or the entirety of the process, depending on its complexity.

Duration

One session, lasting between 1 to 1.5 hours.

Participants

• Experts who understand the process steps in detail.
• Team members involved in developing the relevant business area.

 

 

See you next week!

Got any thoughts or questions? Feel free to share them. Until our next article, enjoy Event Storming!