From Chaos to Context: A Hands-On Journey Through EventStorming and Architecture Katas
Oct 28, 2026, 9:00 AM · 8 hr 5 min · Room D
Session description
How do you transition a sprawling, complex business problem into a clean, resilient software architecture? Most development teams stumble in the messy middle - trapped between vague requirements and the urge to start typing code immediately.
This intensive, full-day workshop bridges that gap. Designed for senior developers, tech leads, and software architects, this session is entirely hands-on. You won't be sitting through hours of theoretical slides; instead, you’ll spend the day collaborating actively using two of the most powerful discovery and design tools in the industry: EventStorming and Architecture Katas.
First, we will dive headfirst into EventStorming. You’ll experience a "Big Picture" exploration to rapidly map out and discover an entire domain ecosystem. From there, we’ll transition into a "Process Modeling" exercise, where we will actively map out both the good and bad scenarios, identifying bottlenecks and uncovering the hidden areas where engineering can inject the most business value.
In the second half of the workshop, we shift from domain discovery to system design using Architecture Katas. You will learn the mechanics of katas, participate in a live design session, and deconstruct architecture solutions with your peers. Finally, we will pull back the curtain on kata creation. We will walk you through a custom kata we designed, sharing the "why" and "how" behind it so you can return to your organization equipped to craft your own custom katas and foster a continuous learning culture.
What you'll cover
Part 1: Domain Discovery via EventStorming (3.5 Hours)
Block 1: Intro & The Power of Visual Modeling (0.5 Hours)
Brief framing of the "Requirements-to-Architecture" problem. Setting the stage for the day's fictional domain/case study.
Block 2: [LAB 1] Big Picture EventStorming (1.5 Hours)
Hands-on: Attendees split into small tables/groups. Armed with an infinite supply of orange sticky notes, groups will rapidly map out a domain timeline using Domain Events.
Focus: Pure discovery. We will focus entirely on exposing the reality of the business domain without pausing to solve big systemic problems yet.
Break (15 Minutes)
Block 3: [LAB 2] Process Modeling & Scenario Pathing (1.25 Hours)
Hands-on: Taking a slice of the discovery map, teams will drill down into the micro-flows.
Focus: Deeply modeling the "good" and "bad" scenarios (happy paths vs. edge cases/failures). Through this exercise, teams will actively identify operational bottlenecks and pinpoint exactly where software can add the highest value.
Part 2: System Design via Architecture Katas (3 Hours)
Block 4: Demystifying the Architecture Kata (0.5 Hours)
What they are, why they work, and a look at Ted Neward’s foundational guidance on running them.
Block 5: [LAB 3] The Live Architecture Kata Clash (1.5 Hours)
Hands-on: Teams receive a challenging, ambiguous system prompt. They must interrogate the requirements, define the core "ilities" (scalability, security, etc.), and sketch a high-level system topology.
Focus: Peer review and defense. Teams pitch their architectures to the room, handling pushback on their trade-offs.
Break (15 Minutes)
Block 6: Reverse-Engineering the Kata: How to Create Your Own (0.75 Hours)
Case study presentation: A deep dive into a kata I created. I'll share the origin story, the hidden constraints I baked into it, and what makes a kata "sticky" and engaging for developers.
Block 7: [LAB 4] Kata Blueprinting & Wrap-Up (0.5 Hours)
Hands-on: Attendees work individually or in pairs to outline the thesis statement for a kata tailored to their own company’s unique tech stack or legacy challenges.
Final: Distribution of the "Day-One Facilitator Toolkit" and final Q&A.
Requirements
Assuming we go with paper and sticky notes, then they just need to bring themselves. I provide the paper, sticky notes, sharpies/pens, and facilitation. If we have to go digitally, they would need a device with internet access that allows them to drag things around on a page. Miro does not require a paid account to be used.
For architecture katas, again I provide the materials with flip charts, paper, and writing utensils. I'll also provide the architectural katas. They need to bring themselves.
Takeaways
Domain Discovery: Master the fundamentals of Big Picture EventStorming to quickly visually map a complex business landscape.
Scenario Modeling & Value Analysis: Learn how to model both happy and unhappy paths to pinpoint system bottlenecks and identify opportunities to add software value.
The Architect's Sandbox: Gain a repeatable framework (Katas) to safely practice evaluating trade-offs, scalability, and system constraints.
Custom Workshop Facilitation: Walk away with a complete blueprint, timeline, and formatting guide to design and run your own proprietary architecture katas at your company.