iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Aardling @aardlingeu.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Tomorrow at Digital Architect Design Days, Gien Verschatse will co-host a workshop on EventStorming. The workshop will introduce the concept and, in a hands-on environment, demonstrate how you can discover a new domain and gain a lot of new insights.

000

Aardling @aardlingeu.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Next week we'll be pitching up at Digital Architecture Design Days in the Netherlands. Gien Verschatse will be running a workshop on EventStorming while we'll also have a booth to talk to us about what we do at Aardling. Come say hi if you're attending!

000

Aardling @aardlingeu.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Final call! At 12.30 CEST, Thomas Coopman will be joined by Gien Verschatse to talk about the art of connecting bounded contexts, diving into the design choices you'll need to make. Still time to sign up - buff.ly/nXCWwp3

aardling.eu

Bounded Context Maps: Upstream vs Downstream and the Im

Join Thomas Coopman to explore how to build bounded context maps

000

Aardling @aardlingeu.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Along the way, he'll explain what these patterns mean for your codebase, your API contracts, and your team's autonomy. More details and sign up via our site: buff.ly/uCCHUMp

buff.ly

Bounded Context Maps: Upstream vs Downstream and the Im

Join Thomas Coopman to explore how to build bounded context maps

000

Aardling @aardlingeu.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Join Thomas Coopman on Wednesday to uncover some practical tips for connecting Bounded Contexts. He'll run through some practical scenarios w/ code examples to explore a few useful patterns that can help you. 1/2

aardling.eu

Bounded Context Maps: Upstream vs Downstream and the Im

Join Thomas Coopman to explore how to build bounded context maps

110

Aardling @aardlingeu.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Not many talks over the 10 years of Domain-Driven Design Europe have had a standing ovation. But this one did. Watch Felienne Hermans' keynote from this year's conference. www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-6-...

youtube.com

AI made me doubt everything about programming by Felienne Hermans - DDD Europe 2026

Domain-Driven Design Europe 2026 - Organised by Aardling (https://aardling.eu/) https://dddeurope.com https://newsletter.dddeurope.com/…

010

Aardling @aardlingeu.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

To provide some practical tips, Thomas Coopman is going to run a lunchtime online event next week, digging into different patterns that can help you, from Conformist vs Anti-Corruption Layer to Upstream and Downstream. Join live to ask your questions Learn more and sign up here: buff.ly/vswxy4T

buff.ly

Bounded Context Maps: Upstream vs Downstream and the Im

Join Thomas Coopman to explore how to build bounded context maps

000

Aardling @aardlingeu.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

If you're suffering when connecting bounded contexts, read on. When it comes to making this design decision, the line between a clean integration and a tangled mess is thin. There are plenty of pitfalls that we see even the most experienced Domain-Driven Design practitioners make. 1/2

aardling.eu

Bounded Context Maps: Upstream vs Downstream and the Im

Join Thomas Coopman to explore how to build bounded context maps

100

Aardling @aardlingeu.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

For teams building software, there's often a disconnect between an idealised version of the future and the weighty reality of legacy systems. At KanDDDinky in Berlin, our consultant Gien Verschatse will be onstage with Kenny (Baas) Schwegler to explore this in detail. buff.ly/bcHxWTj

kandddinsky.de

KanDDDinsky - The art of business software

000

Aardling @aardlingeu.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Domain-Driven Design was coined over 20 years ago. So what's its relevance in 2026? Gien Verschatse argues that the value of DDD has actually increased with the proliferation of AI technology. If the amount of production code increases, the importance of good design increases too. buff.ly/SpXZ5YF

000

Aardling @aardlingeu.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

Do you simply adopt the upstream model and conform? Or do you build an Anti-Corruption Layer to protect your own domain model? Both can work depending on your context but naturally both come with tradeoffs. This webinar will explore those tensions. 16 September, 12:30 CET buff.ly/QMD5Ult

buff.ly

Bounded Context Maps: Upstream vs Downstream and the Im

Join Thomas Coopman to explore how to build bounded context maps

000

Aardling @aardlingeu.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

One of the most important architectural decisions in Domain-Driven Design is how bounded contexts should integrate. When one bounded context depends on another, the downstream team has a choice. 1/2

aardling.eu

Bounded Context Maps: Upstream vs Downstream and the Im

Join Thomas Coopman to explore how to build bounded context maps

100

Aardling @aardlingeu.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

A well-designed domain model acts as a semantic map. Humans (and AI too) can reason about it more easily. Code reviews become more focused because you're reviewing business behaviour instead of infrastructure details. Read Thomas Coopman’s latest blog post on our website - buff.ly/LsxnYQs

buff.ly

Why the domain belongs at the heart of your software

And why it matters even more with AI

000

Aardling @aardlingeu.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

Why is it still important that the domain sits at the heart of your system with AI? LLMs don't magically understand your system. They work with the context you give them. If your business rules are scattered throughout the codebase, AI has to piece them together. 1/2

100

Aardling @aardlingeu.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

Design remains the job of the engineer. As AI provides more value to engineers in implementing the solution, the importance of design becomes ever more important. This clip is from a recent presentation by Gien Verschatse titled "Navigating AI-Assisted Domain-Driven Design." buff.ly/SpXZ5YF

000

Aardling @aardlingeu.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

"As we improve the quality of generated code, the number of production issues should go down in relative terms. However, the amount of production code will increase exponentially, and the issues will go up in absolute terms." Mathias Verraes on our blog buff.ly/uE7eSb1

000

Aardling @aardlingeu.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

When your business rules sit alongside SQL queries, HTTP controllers, and messaging code, the model becomes difficult to understand. A clean domain becomes an explicit model of the business, written in a language that developers and domain experts can understand and share.

120

Aardling @aardlingeu.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

One of the most common justifications for hexagonal architecture is that it makes it easier to swap databases or frameworks. But the real value of putting your domain at the centre of your software is that it lets you express the business problem without accidental complexity. 1/3

110

Reposted by Aardling

Mathias Verraes @mathiasverraes.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

Martin Fowler wrote: "[Mathias Verraes] adds another concern: we need good design as a hedge against the risk of dependence on AI. After all, we don’t know how high the costs may rise to. (ctd)

verraes.net

Software Design in the Agentic Age: Place Your Bets

An evaluation of the role of software design in retrospect of Thoughtworks' Future of Software Engineering retreat.

141

Reposted by Aardling

Mathias Verraes @mathiasverraes.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

I was invited to @thoughtworks.com' Future of Software Engineering summit in Switzerland with around 60 industry leaders. It was an open space hosted by @martinfowler.com. My retro looks at the state of Agentic Development and the role of software design & DDD. aardling.eu/en/insights/...

aardling.eu

Software Design in the Agentic Age: Placing Your Bets

Report from Thoughtworks’ Future of Software Engineering retreat

272

Reposted by Aardling

Mathias Verraes @mathiasverraes.bsky.social · 28/06/2026

BRU🛫ZRH for Thoughtworks' Future of Technology summit. It's conference with 50 invitees, so I think it will get pretty intense 😀

291

Reposted by Aardling

Frederieke Scheper 🇳🇱❤️🇺🇦 @fbascheper.bsky.social · 11/06/2026

Celebrating ten (10!) years of @dddeu.bsky.social with software modelling and development heroes @ericevans0.bsky.social and @martinfowler.com on the panel 😍 #DDDEU #safe #awesome #conference #learning #sharing 🎆 🎉 thank you @aardlingeu.bsky.social , speakers and sponsors for making this happen ❤️🎂

032

Aardling @aardlingeu.bsky.social · 22/05/2026

“Mathias and I share a belief that the intersection of business strategy and software delivery is only going to become more critical. My focus is on growing the quality and excellence Aardling is known for and helping our clients navigate complex challenges.” buff.ly/XAa4cGY

buff.ly

Thomas Coopman steps up as CEO of Aardling

Today we announce, Mathias Verraes is stepping down as CEO of Aardling, the company he founded seven years ago. He's succeeded by his long-time colleague Thomas Coopman.

010

Aardling @aardlingeu.bsky.social · 22/05/2026

Today, we’re delighted to announce that Thomas Coopman is the new CEO of Aardling! Mathias Verraes, Aardling’s founder and former CEO, moves to become board director and advisor. 1/2

130

Aardling @aardlingeu.bsky.social · 06/05/2026

Join us for our online event at 12:30 CEST as Gien Verschatse talks through how to navigate AI-assisted Domain-Driven Design. Final spots available here:

buff.ly

Navigating AI-Assisted Domain-Driven Design: Opportunit

Learn about AI-assisted Domain-Driven Design with Gien Verschatse

000

Aardling @aardlingeu.bsky.social · 01/05/2026

When designing your bounded contexts, there are two standout patterns you can use to integrate them into external systems: The Anti-Corruption Layer and the Conformist pattern. Gien Verschatse has written up the benefits and drawbacks of both approaches.

buff.ly

Anti-Corruption Layer vs. Conform

In DDD, the Anti-Corruption Layer and Conformist patterns offer distinct ways to handle integration between bounded contexts. One isolates, the other adapts.

000

Reposted by Aardling

Gien Verschatse @gienverschatse.com · 22/04/2026

“How do we design our software system so that our teams can be autonomous?” is a very common question I receive during training or consulting. In this episode of Satisfying Software, I dig a bit deeper into team organisation with @joaorosa.bsky.social. [1/2]

112

Aardling @aardlingeu.bsky.social · 13/04/2026

As developers, architects and team leads, how do we navigate this new reality? Join us on May 6 at 12:30 CET to work through practical AI-assisted DDD workflows and cross-functional team compositions built for this new reality. Sign up for free, but space will be limited - buff.ly/gnBraXp 2/2

buff.ly

Navigating AI-Assisted Domain-Driven Design: Opportunit

Learn about AI-assisted Domain-Driven Design with Gien Verschatse

000

Aardling @aardlingeu.bsky.social · 13/04/2026

Domain-Driven Design has long held that deep domain knowledge is the foundation of high-quality, maintainable software. So when AI can dramatically reduce the time to build a solution, we short-circuit the learning process that makes DDD valuable in the first place. 1/2

aardling.eu

Navigating AI-Assisted Domain-Driven Design: Opportunit

Learn about AI-assisted Domain-Driven Design with Gien Verschatse

100

Aardling @aardlingeu.bsky.social · 01/04/2026

In the latest episode of Satisfying Software, Kenny Baas Schwegler and Gien Verschatse get into the nuts and bolts of Domain-Driven Design and the differences between domains, subdomains, and bounded contexts. They both share some tips you can try out, including this one from Kenny.

000

Aardling @aardlingeu.bsky.social · 26/03/2026

Our podcast series Satisfying Software is back! In episode 1, Gien Verschatse has a conversation with Susanne Kaiser about Software Architecture, strategic thinking and the power of Wardley Mapping. Check out the full video - buff.ly/aFy7NWn

aardling.eu

Strategic Thinking and Wardley Mapping with Susanne Kai

In this conversation, Gien Verschatse and Susanne Kaiser explore why so many teams build technically impressive systems that still don't deliver real business value.

010

Aardling @aardlingeu.bsky.social · 25/03/2026

We've just published a case study about our recent work with a deep tech scale-up Orbem. Using AI to industrialise MRI, Orbem enables non-invasive insight into everything from fruits to eggs to the human body. The new case study details our work together. Take a look! buff.ly/GtB7zne

aardling.eu

How Orbem Aligned Its Software Architecture to Business

How a fast-growing deep tech scale-up turned engineering complexity into strategic advantage

010

Aardling @aardlingeu.bsky.social · 03/03/2026

Introduce new thinking in your organisation with a talk from one of our consultants. Whether it's for an internal conference or a standalone event, we can create momentum for change in your organisation. Get in touch to learn more aardling.eu/en/services/...

aardling.eu

Speaking and Keynotes

Invite one of our specialists to your next event. Whether at an internal conference or a one-off event, we deliver talks to stakeholders in your organisation on our exper

010

Aardling @aardlingeu.bsky.social · 24/02/2026

Portbase’s goal is to enable goods and data to flow efficiently through Dutch ports. With our help, Portbase gained a strategic tool for managing the complexity of critical port infrastructure. Take a look at our case study aardling.eu/en/insights/...

000

Aardling @aardlingeu.bsky.social · 11/02/2026

If the model you create is hidden away in the engineering organisation, you will lose a lot of its value. The business needs to not only understand the model but also share the ownership. aardling.eu/en/insights/...

000

Aardling @aardlingeu.bsky.social · 07/01/2026

When we model, finding the right words helps us reason at a higher level. In a recent presentation, our senior consultant Stijn Vannieuwenhuyse shared some tips for designing domain models with the business in mind. Read more on our blog - aardling.eu/en/insights/...

000

Aardling @aardlingeu.bsky.social · 15/12/2025

To listen to the full conversation between Thomas Coopman and Gien Verschatse, search Satisfying Software on Google or YouTube.

010

Aardling @aardlingeu.bsky.social · 15/12/2025

“OK, we’ve done some EventStorming. Now what? How do we translate it into code?” Just because something appears in the EventStorm, it doesn’t mean it needs to be implemented as code. A Command in the model might end up being a function call on an object.

100

Aardling @aardlingeu.bsky.social · 01/12/2025

💡 "We listen to what the business wants and translate that into quality software" If you describe DDD to someone outside of software development, they might assume all software is designed this way, but in reality, it's not!

031

Aardling @aardlingeu.bsky.social · 24/11/2025

Join Stijn Vannieuwenhuyse on December 11 (12:30 CET) to learn how to design domain models which are fit for purpose. Sign up to secure your spot - riverside.fm/webinar/regi...

riverside.fm

Riverside.FM | Webinar

000

Aardling @aardlingeu.bsky.social · 24/11/2025

Your domain model isn’t helping your business (yet!) To ensure your model brings value to the business, all key business stakeholders need to understand the model. If it's only the engineers, your team miss out on lots of value. 1/2

100

Aardling @aardlingeu.bsky.social · 18/11/2025

When should you reconsider the design of your current domain model? Noticing when your domain model is no longer fit for purpose is a crucial skill for programmers. It's important that as a team, you have a culture that questions whether the model is a stable reflection of the software.

010

Aardling @aardlingeu.bsky.social · 13/11/2025

You can’t perfectly design your software system from the beginning. Your system design will evolve as you iterate based on customer feedback and new information. Once you have this iterative cycle, refactoring and adding new product capacities becomes easier Search for Satisfying Software on YT

000

Reposted by Aardling

Andrew Harmel-Law @andrewhl.bsky.social · 06/11/2025

“The hardest part (of deciding) is framing the problem. It is also the part we spend the least amount of time on.” This is _so_ true. 👏🏻 @gienverschatse.com closing #NewCrafts #Paris 2025.

0255

Aardling @aardlingeu.bsky.social · 07/11/2025

@newcrafts.bsky.social Day 2 in Paris 🇫🇷 is underway. @tcoopman.bsky.social ran a workshop reviewing the advantages of using LLMs to design complex software systems. And @gienverschatse.com closed the day with her keynote on how to make better decisions in complex software projects.

031

Aardling @aardlingeu.bsky.social · 05/11/2025

🚫 Your bounded contexts shouldn't match 1-1 with your business domains. Mathias Verraes, Aardling's principal consultant, recently wrote about this on his blog. verraes.net/2025/08/doma...

000

Reposted by Aardling

Mathias Verraes @mathiasverraes.bsky.social · 27/10/2025

The quote "All models are wrong but some are useful" should not be read as an excuse to stick with your model. It's a call to actively search for more useful models.

4229