Identifying Domains and Subdomains

Organizing teams and shaping software architecture starts by identifying the different areas of your business — domains — and the subdomains they are composed of.

We design and facilitate in-person and remote workshops to map your business into domains and subdomains, and progress to architecture and Team Topologies.

Workshop Techniques

  • Big Picture Event Storming

    Big Picture Event Storming is used to collaboratively map out larger areas of a business such as a whole domain or multiple domains, to visualize end-to-end flows.

  • Event Storm Slicing

    After creating an Event Storm, the events on the Event Storm can be sliced into groups which represent candidate domains and subdomains.

  • Process Modelling Event Storming

    Process Modelling Event Storming is used to map out smaller areas in greater detail to increase confidence in the candidate domains and subdomains.

  • Core Domain Charts

    Core Domain Charts allow you to determine the strategic value of each domain which in turn facilitates decisions like where to zoom in and where to build vs buy.

  • Domain Storytelling

    Domain Storytelling is a technique for modelling concrete domain scenarios. It cam be used for current and future state, and identifying boundaries

  • People Mapping

    People Mapping focuses on identifying all of the people involved in the domain, the roles they play, the jobs the do, and their motivations.

  • Example Mapping

    Example Mapping is a technique for zooming into the details and uncovering hidden scenarios and requirements, ensuring key information is not missed.

  • Domain Message Flow Modelllling

    Domain Message Flow Modelling is a technique for mapping end-to-end flows across multiple subdomains which helps to validate boundaries.

Getting Started

  • Step 1 - Discuss Scope

    The first step in working together is establishing the areas of your business to map out. Is it the whole business or just specific areas… and what will you do when you have identified your domains and subdomains?

  • Step 2 - Listening Sessions

    Before workshops, we spend time listening to people in different teams and different roles to get many different perspectives on the situation, so we can design workshops that will be most impactful.

  • Step 3 - Big Picture Workshops

    We usually start with high-level workshops that cover one or more whole domains using Big Picture Event Storming. Typically, we suggest 2 full days or 4 half days as a starting point for this step.

  • Step 4 - Deep Dive Workshops

    After mapping the big picture, we then have specific workshops to zoom in and map out smaller areas in larger detail to validate and refine boundaries. Typically, 1 day of deep dives for each subdomain.

  • Step 5 - Plan Next Steps

    After a series of big picture and deep dive workshops a lot of progress will have been made but there may still be some question marks remaining so we will create a tailored plan for addressing them.

Video Training Course

Our Principal Consultant Nick Tune and our partner Kacper Gunia are the authors of the Team Topologies Video training course Independent Value Streams with DDD. This is for organizations looking to establish autonomous, domain-aligned teams.