Catalog
concept#Product#Delivery#Collaboration#Domain-Driven Design

Domain-Driven Design

An approach to software development that focuses on modeling complex domains.

Domain-Driven Design (DDD) is a concept aimed at managing the complexity of software projects by placing the domain of the problem at the center.
Established
Medium

Classification

  • Medium
  • Technical
  • Design
  • Intermediate

Technical context

DatabasesAPI interfacesThird-party services

Principles & goals

Focus on the domainCreate a shared understandingIterative development
Build
Enterprise, Domain, Team

Use cases & scenarios

Compromises

  • Misunderstandings in domain modeling
  • Over-complexity due to too many models
  • Resistance to change
  • Engaged collaboration between IT and business departments.
  • Iterative development and feedback loops.
  • Documentation of domain models.

I/O & resources

  • Stakeholder requirements
  • Technical specifications
  • Market research findings
  • Functional software
  • Documented processes
  • Fulfilled requirements

Description

Domain-Driven Design (DDD) is a concept aimed at managing the complexity of software projects by placing the domain of the problem at the center. It promotes close collaboration between domain experts and developers to create a shared understanding of the domain and develop effective models.

✔

  • Improved software quality
  • Increased flexibility
  • Better collaboration between teams

✖

  • High initial effort
  • Complexity in modeling
  • Dependency on domain experts

  • Customer satisfaction

    Measurement of user satisfaction with the software.

  • Error rate

    Number of errors per 1000 lines of code.

  • Development time

    Time taken to develop new features.

Application of DDD in a financial services company

A financial service provider uses DDD to model complex business rules in a new lending system.

Development of a CRM solution

A company implements DDD to develop a customized CRM solution that addresses specific customer requirements.

Optimization of an e-commerce system

An e-commerce company uses DDD to enhance the user experience by specifically modeling the purchasing processes.

1

Conduct workshops for requirement analysis.

2

Create prototypes to validate models.

3

Regularly review and adjust models.

⚠️ Technical debt & bottlenecks

  • Insufficient documentation of models.
  • Technical debt from quick fixes.
  • Outdated technologies in implementation.
Communication difficultiesUnclear requirementsTechnological constraints
  • Using DDD without sufficient domain knowledge.
  • Modeling without user feedback.
  • Neglecting technical constraints.
  • Assuming all domain experts have the same perspective.
  • Overestimating the complexity of the domain.
  • Underestimating the training needs.
Knowledge of software architectureAbility to collaborate with domain expertsExperience in agile development
ModularityScalabilityFlexibility
  • • Compliance with security standards
  • • Regulatory requirements
  • • Technological constraints