Modeling IT Systems: Techniques and Practice

Course Goal

Prepare participants for confident use of IT system modeling techniques, develop skills in diagram creation, technical solution communication, and mentoring in systems thinking.

The course is designed for

Mid-level developers interested in advancing to senior or tech lead roles

Learning format

Course duration: 18 hours + 2 hours for workshops (12 sessions × 1.5 hours)
Online classes with an instructor
Homework between sessions
Final project: model a complete system

What does a graduate of the online course receive

🔗 View benefits

Recommended tools:

Free: draw.io, PlantUML, Mermaid
Paid: Lucidchart, Miro, Figma
Code-based: PlantUML, Mermaid, Structurizr

Program

Introduction to Systems Modeling

What is systems modeling and why it matters
Types of models: conceptual, logical, physical
Modeling in the software development lifecycle
Overview of tools (draw.io, Lucidchart, PlantUML, Miro)

Modeling Requirements and Domain

Principles of Domain-Driven Design
Mapping user stories
Basics of event storming
Context mapping

Architectural Diagrams

C4 model (Context, Container, Component, Code)
System landscape diagrams
Deployment diagrams
Practical task: Designing (micro)service architecture

Data Modeling

Entity-relationship diagrams
Database design patterns
NoSQL data modeling

Software Interface Modeling

API modeling
Access points
Error handling
Data format
Protocol

Process and Workflow Modeling

Business process modeling (BPMN basics)
User journey mapping
State diagrams
Activity diagrams

Sequence and Interaction Modeling

Sequence diagrams
Communication diagrams
API interaction flows
Error handling flows

Event-Driven Architecture Modeling

Event sourcing patterns
Message flow diagrams
Pub/sub architectures
Saga patterns

Performance and Scalability Modeling

Load modeling
Capacity planning diagrams
Performance bottleneck identification
Caching strategy visualization

Security and Risk Modeling

Data flow security analysis – levels 0, 1, 2
Threat modeling (STRIDE)
Security architecture diagrams
Risk assessment matrices

Cloud and DevOps Solution Modeling

Cloud architecture patterns
Infrastructure as Code
CI/CD pipeline modeling
Monitoring and observability diagrams

Case Study Workshop

Real system analysis
Modeling exercises
Peer review and feedback
Best practices discussion

Presentation and Evaluation

Student model presentations
Course summary and next steps
Tool recommendations for further learning

FAQ

What is the main developer problem that this course solves?

Many mid-level technical professionals struggle to transition to Senior or Tech Lead levels due to a lack of systems thinking and the ability to visualize architecture. The course helps to structure knowledge about modeling IT systems, teaches to create understandable diagrams and effectively communicate complex technical solutions to the team and business.

What modeling tools and techniques will I learn?

You will learn fundamental techniques from DDD (Domain-Driven Design) and the C4 model to sequence, state and deployment diagrams. We'll cover visualization tools like draw.io, Lucidchart, Miro, and code-based modeling approaches including PlantUML, Mermaid, and Structurizr.

How is the training and how long does it take?

The course lasts 20 hours and consists of 12 lessons of 1.5 hours each, including online lectures with the teacher and workshops. Training involves homework between classes, and to consolidate skills on real cases, a final project is provided - creation of a model of a complete system.

How to access training and become a course participant?

The program will help you grow as a technical leader and significantly improve the quality of architectural projects in your company. To join the group, reserve your place and start your IT modeling professional training, click the "Apply" button on this page.