Event Storming Cheat Sheet

Updated 2026-05-28

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Event Storming is a collaborative workshop technique invented by Alberto Brandolini in 2013 for rapidly exploring complex business domains through visual modeling with sticky notes. Rooted in Domain-Driven Design (DDD), it brings together domain experts, developers, and stakeholders in a highly interactive session to discover domain events, processes, and system boundaries. The technique's power lies not just in the model created, but in the shared understanding gained when diverse perspectives converge on a single timeline. A key principle: use an unlimited modeling surface (long paper rolls on walls) to avoid the artificial constraints of whiteboards — spatial freedom enables deeper exploration and prevents premature simplification of complex domains.

What This Cheat Sheet Covers

This topic spans 10 focused tables and 92 indexed concepts, 88 flashcards. Below is a complete table-by-table outline of this topic, spanning foundational concepts through advanced details.

Table 1: EventStorming FlavorsTable 2: Sticky Note NotationTable 3: Workshop PhasesTable 4: Facilitation TechniquesTable 5: Output ArtifactsTable 6: Remote & Virtual EventStormingTable 7: Best PracticesTable 8: Common Pitfalls to AvoidTable 9: EventStorming vs. Other MethodsTable 10: Advanced Concepts

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Table 1: EventStorming Flavors

EventStorming is a family of workshop formats, not a single technique. Each flavor targets a different level of detail and a different question — from "what does our business do?" to "how should our code be structured?" — and they are commonly run in sequence as understanding deepens.

Flavor	Example	Description
Big Picture EventStorming	Workshop with 15–30 participants mapping entire business domain over 4–8 hours	• Discovery-focused exploration to understand the whole domain landscape at high level • identifies domain events, actors, external systems, hot spots, and emergent bounded contexts • ideal for new projects, legacy modernization, or cross-team alignment
Process Modeling EventStorming	Detailed modeling of "order fulfillment" process showing commands, policies, read models	• Zooms into a specific process or use case to expose detailed flows, business rules, bottlenecks, and alternatives • adds commands, policies, read models, and constraints • bridges discovery and design
Software Design EventStorming	Design session identifying aggregates, bounded contexts, APIs for checkout microservice	• Most granular level — focuses on technical implementation within a bounded context • defines aggregates, commands, events, constraints, and APIs • produces design artifacts directly usable for coding
Value-Driven EventStorming	Mapping where value is created and destroyed along the event timeline using value indicators	• Maps the value chain based on event storytelling • adds positive (green) and negative (red) value stickies to make value flow explicit • bridges EventStorming with Value Stream Mapping
UX-Driven EventStorming	Workshop focused on user journey steps, screens, and friction points for a checkout flow	• Centers on the user experience perspective — user actions, screens, and decision data • identifies UI friction and read model gaps • integrates UX designers alongside domain experts
Retrospective EventStorming	Team uses event timeline of past sprint to identify what went wrong and what opportunities emerged	• Applies EventStorming format to reflect on past events rather than discover future ones • surfaces team process problems, bottlenecks, and improvement opportunities • useful for onboarding new members to understand the existing system

Table 2: Sticky Note Notation

The color-coded sticky note vocabulary is the shared language of EventStorming — learning what each color means is the only prerequisite for participation. A visible legend on the wall is essential so all participants reference the same definitions throughout the session.

Element	Example	Description
Domain Events (orange)	`Order Placed` `Payment Received` `Item Shipped`	• Core building block — something meaningful that happened in the domain • always written in past tense • represents facts that have already occurred • events flow chronologically left-to-right on timeline

The rest of this section is part of the full cheat sheet

Table 3: Workshop Phases

EventStorming sessions follow a progression from unstructured individual thinking to collective structured storytelling. Each phase builds on the previous — skipping phases, especially the chaotic exploration, undermines the diversity and honesty of the output.

Phase	Example	Description
Check-in	Each participant briefly states how they're feeling and what they hope to achieve in the session	• Opens the workshop by having every participant speak once before domain work begins • ensures mental presence, sets collaborative norms • facilitator models the check-in first; participants follow popcorn-style

The rest of this section is part of the full cheat sheet

Table 4: Facilitation Techniques

Facilitation is what separates a productive EventStorming session from an exhausting group meeting. These techniques help the facilitator maintain energy, prevent derailment, and draw out the quiet voices who often hold the most important domain knowledge.

Technique	Example	Description
Unlimited Modeling Surface	6–15 meter roll of paper on wall, not confined to whiteboards or flipcharts	• Provides illusion of infinite space • removes artificial constraints • prevents premature simplification • use plotter paper rolls, brown paper, or whiteboard walls

The rest of this section is part of the full cheat sheet

Table 1: EventStorming Flavors

Flavor	Example	Description
Big Picture EventStorming	Workshop with 15–30 participants mapping entire business domain over 4–8 hours	• Discovery-focused exploration to understand the whole domain landscape at high level • identifies domain events, actors, external systems, hot spots, and emergent bounded contexts • ideal for new projects, legacy modernization, or cross-team alignment
Process Modeling EventStorming	Detailed modeling of "order fulfillment" process showing commands, policies, read models	• Zooms into a specific process or use case to expose detailed flows, business rules, bottlenecks, and alternatives • adds commands, policies, read models, and constraints • bridges discovery and design
Software Design EventStorming	Design session identifying aggregates, bounded contexts, APIs for checkout microservice	• Most granular level — focuses on technical implementation within a bounded context • defines aggregates, commands, events, constraints, and APIs • produces design artifacts directly usable for coding
Value-Driven EventStorming	Mapping where value is created and destroyed along the event timeline using value indicators	• Maps the value chain based on event storytelling • adds positive (green) and negative (red) value stickies to make value flow explicit • bridges EventStorming with Value Stream Mapping
UX-Driven EventStorming	Workshop focused on user journey steps, screens, and friction points for a checkout flow	• Centers on the user experience perspective — user actions, screens, and decision data • identifies UI friction and read model gaps • integrates UX designers alongside domain experts
Retrospective EventStorming	Team uses event timeline of past sprint to identify what went wrong and what opportunities emerged	• Applies EventStorming format to reflect on past events rather than discover future ones • surfaces team process problems, bottlenecks, and improvement opportunities • useful for onboarding new members to understand the existing system

Table 2: Sticky Note Notation

Element	Example	Description
Domain Events (orange)	`Order Placed` `Payment Received` `Item Shipped`	• Core building block — something meaningful that happened in the domain • always written in past tense • represents facts that have already occurred • events flow chronologically left-to-right on timeline

Table 3: Workshop Phases

Phase	Example	Description
Check-in	Each participant briefly states how they're feeling and what they hope to achieve in the session	• Opens the workshop by having every participant speak once before domain work begins • ensures mental presence, sets collaborative norms • facilitator models the check-in first; participants follow popcorn-style

Table 4: Facilitation Techniques

Technique	Example	Description
Unlimited Modeling Surface	6–15 meter roll of paper on wall, not confined to whiteboards or flipcharts	• Provides illusion of infinite space • removes artificial constraints • prevents premature simplification • use plotter paper rolls, brown paper, or whiteboard walls