domain-design-review

Check that domain events are identified before commands, bounded context boundaries are clear, and each aggregate changes for only one category of reasons. Flag god objects handling 10 or more event types and any direct service-to-service calls across contexts.

Common anti-patterns include wireframe-driven design starting from UI mockups, noun-based modeling where aggregates change for multiple unrelated reasons, context violations via direct cross-service calls, blurred boundaries from shared structs, and data coupling through cross-context database joins.

Run the review before implementation, when designing new features, aggregates, or bounded contexts. Catching anti-patterns at design time is far cheaper than refactoring coupled services and shared database tables after code ships.

A god object is an aggregate that handles too many responsibilities, typically signaled by processing 10 or more event types. It indicates the aggregate changes for multiple unrelated reasons and should be split along true consistency boundaries.

Cross-context database joins create data coupling that breaks context autonomy and makes independent deployment impossible. Each context should own its data and communicate through events rather than direct queries into another context's storage.