Event Modeling

Event Modeling is a method of describing systems using an example of how information has changed within them over time. Specifically this omits transient details and looks at what is durably stored and what the user sees at any particular point in time. These are the events on the timeline that form the description of the system.


Many systems that have been automated in more recent history do use events as the building blocks of what constitutes state and propagation of information - done via event store databases or regular databases used in a specific way. However, the majority of approaches still rely on state being strictly a view of information at that current point in time - done via a SQL database, document database or other technologies.


The challenge of automating, especially, non-trivial systems is the rising cost curve for further changes as the system grows in complexity. Most of this extra cost of automation has to do with re-work (shown as red boxes below). Event Modeling minimizes the amount of rework by working off of a blue print that can be created in a very short time compared to existing design and modeling methodologies.

cost comparison

Depending on your comfort or ability to use either approaches to automate systems, event modeling can be used to describe multiple strategies or combinations of them. The 2 main articles below explain how to use Event Modeling using either traditional or event-based systems.

Please continue reading about Event Modeling in the original “Event Modeling: What is it?” article.

Recent posts

Event Modeling Specification Patterns Building Blocks

EventModeling Cheat Sheet

Need a cheat sheet for the basic building blocks and how they are being orchestrated in patterns in EventModeling? Use these examples in order to get onboard quickly.

Sebastian Bortz

· 0 minutes
Event Modeling Event Storming Semantic Memory Episodic Memory

Natural Human Thinking - Event Storming vs Event Modeling

Let's try to analyze why Event Storming & Event Modeling works and lay out the basis for future research in information system modeling.

Rafal Maciag

· 3 minutes
User Experience Context Measures

Great User Experience Demands Event Modeling

Implementing software products that increase market share and profits require comprehensive and complete understanding of the context and measures audiences need to be successful. Event modeling is leaps and bounds ahead of all other techniques in context and measures collaboration.

Eric Lau

· 4 minutes
Intro Background Theory

Event Modeling Traditional Systems

Event Modeling can be applied in designing systems that will store state in traditional databases. By providing a more thorough design, the solution can be implemented with a lot less waste that usually comes in the form of having to re-visit finished items as the solution is built up.

Adam Dymitruk

· 7 minutes
Intro Background Theory

Event Modeling: What is it?

Event Modeling is a way to design a blueprint for an Information System of any size or scale. It is done in a way that allows the clearest communication of the system's workings to the largest possible cross-section of roles in an organization. The system can be checked for completeness by following the single thread of data propagation through it.

Adam Dymitruk

· 17 minutes