Summary
In an era where technology shapes industries, the ability to lead software design with clarity, foresight, and decisiveness is a game-changer. This workshop is designed for people who aspire to elevate their strategic impact and guide their teams toward building innovative, scalable, and future-proof software solutions.
Through a mix of interactive discussions, real-world case studies, and practical exercises, participants will explore the core pillars of leadership in software design:
- Define and Communicate a Compelling Vision: Learn how to articulate a clear vision that aligns with business objectives and motivates your team(s).
- Make Informed, High-Stakes Decisions: Dive into decision-making processes that weigh trade-offs, and prioritises business. Practice evaluating risks, opportunities, and the impact of architectural choices.
- Shape the Future with Intentional Design: Discover how to anticipate market trends and integrate them into your strategy and design.
- Align Stakeholders: Develop skills to bridge the gap between technical teams, product managers, and executives.
Whether you are a seasoned leader or simply trying to improve things, this workshop will provide valuable insights and real-world examples to help you lead successful design initiatives in your organisation.
For who?
This workshop is for team leaders, architects, and technical leaders. Leaders can be everywhere, whether you’re a software developer trying to improve things, or you have a CTO title.
What you'll learn
- Understanding software design strategies
- Learning how to create a strategy for culture shift
- Learning how to pitch DDD in your company
Schedule
- Software Design Strategy
- Turn signals into strategy
- Proactive decision making
- Brutal DDD pitch
- Negotiating techniques
Prerequisites
- The training is programming language agnostic
- Attendees should have a basic knowledge of DDD
What participants say
"Gien is a very good speaker, she brings interesting topics and nice discussions. I have learned some tricks on how to bring topics to people."
- Jens Aernouts, Analysis & External Components lead, Mobile Vikings - workshop participant 2025
Collaborative Software Design
Written by Evelyn van Kelle, Gien Verschatse, and Kenny Baas-Schwegler, with forewords by Diana Montalion and Trond Hjorteland - Published by Manning
Collaborative Software Design combines its authors’ deep experience in behavioural science, decision-making theory and software architecture into an essential guide for making collaborative design decisions. You’ll learn to use process visualizations, engaging sessions, and social dynamic management to ensure every stakeholder is contributing their vital insights to a project. Best of all, the skills you’ll learn make it easy for software teams to develop software directly with their stakeholders—no need to rely on a centralized or top-down design.