NimblePros

Process Modeling EventStorming for Better People Experiences

March 19, 2026
Categories: #DomainDrivenDesign
Process Modeling EventStorming for Better People Experiences
Sarah Dutkiewicz

Sarah Dutkiewicz, Senior Trainer

Are you hearing the same complaints over and over?

  • “The app is frustrating.”

  • “I’m leaving for a competitor.”

  • “This form takes forever.”

If so, you’re not alone. Many businesses struggle with poorly-designed processes that lead to frustration, inefficiencies, and lost revenue.

But what if there was a way to actually understand what’s going wrong, improve existing processes, and to build better processes from the ground up? That’s exactly what EventStorming does!

Instead of relying on outdated flowcharts or assumptions, EventStorming is a powerful collaborative workshop technique that maps your processes as a network of events. It’s about uncovering the why behind the problems – the triggers, the changes, the moments that drive your operations.

People working through ordering their events in their processes at devUp in St. Louis, MO

What is Process Modeling EventStorming?

Process Modeling EventStorming is a workshop that involves collaboratively mapping out events of a single end-to-end process. These sessions typically start with the happy path - “in an ideal situation, what happened?”. Once the happy path is established, then we go back and talk through special cases and exceptional cases. Special cases are those cases where there is some deviation from the norm. Exceptional cases are where something can go wrong and what events are used to map out what went wrong and how to do better or recover. Process Modeling EventStorming workshops can use sticky notes or digital whiteboards to visually represent events, roles, and commands. Participants create a chronological timeline, identifying pivotal events, and adding actors to trigger those actions, while also noting any outstanding challenges with sticky notes that stand out. This structured approach allows teams to gain a shared understanding of the domain’s flow and potential issues.

In one of our recent EventStorming workshops, we used the theme of vending machines to spark conversations in Big Picture EventStorming and then took the output of those discussions to identify processes for Process Modeling EventStorming. One group identified a payment process to look at in process modeling:

Vending Machine flow, mapped out using orange, pink, and purple sticky notes

When exploring the process of payment processing, some of the group’s discussions included:

  • What happens when cash payment is rejected?
  • What happens when a card is swiped?
    • What if there’s a timeout because someone waited a little too long before swiping?
    • What about networking issues?
    • What about payment authorization failed?
  • What happens when there’s an issue dispensing the desired item?

During Process Modeling EventStorming, conversations should include questions on what is involved in the process, where are there pain points, where are the bottlenecks, and how can we get better. Takeaways are to identify the parts that need our attention. You could also weave in questions to see:

  • How can we make this a better experience for our users?
  • Where can we add value for our users?
  • If this is customer focused, what can we do with the customer experience to retain them? Where are we losing them?
  • What of this process can be better documented for people to get the help they need easily?

Benefits of Process Modeling EventStorming

Here’s how EventStorming can help you start building processes that work:

  • Uncover the Root Causes: EventStorming reveals the underlying reasons behind process breakdowns – not just the symptoms.
  • Shift from Assumptions to Understanding: It forces you to move beyond gut feelings and build a shared understanding of the process.
  • Identify Bottlenecks & Pain Points: By mapping events, you quickly spot areas where processes are slowing down or creating frustration. Sometimes, it is seen directly in the flow of events. Sometimes, you may realize that there is an external system that might be causing issues. Having these conversations about all the key parts of a process helps to understand the dependencies between teams and how to bring everyone together to better their process.
  • Collaborate for Solutions: EventStorming brings together stakeholders from different departments to work together on creating efficient and effective processes.
  • Drive Real Results: EventStorming isn’t just about documentation; it’s about creating tangible improvements that directly impact your bottom line.

Can this Be Done Digitally?

Yes! While you are seeing some of our pictures from our in-person workshops, we also can facilitate these discussions in an online environment, using Miro.com!

If you want to see how this flows in a digital environment, this webinar had an interactive session on EventStorming here:

Let Us Help You!

Ready to stop the complaints and start building processes that delight your customers and your team? We can help! We can facilitate EventStorming workshops to help businesses like yours:

  • Identify and map your key processes.
  • Uncover hidden inefficiencies and bottlenecks.
  • Create clear, actionable process improvements.

Contact us TODAY!