About Modello

The guided BPMN practice studio

Modello is a learning tool for new Business Analysts and Product Managers who need to get confident with BPMN — fast, without sitting through a 40-slide deck first.

What it is

Not a diagramming tool

Modello wraps the industry-standard BPMN.io editor, but the point isn't drawing — it's thinking. You model a scenario from a brief and learn by doing.

Not a course

There are no videos or quizzes. Lessons are short theory references you read when you need them. The real learning happens on the canvas.

A practice studio

Load an exercise case, get a brief, build the diagram, compare to the expert reference. Repeat. The AI coach nudges — it never solves for you.

The three tools

The Studio

Open studio

A full BPMN.io canvas with two modes: free-flow (blank canvas, no constraints) and exercise mode (loads a practice case). Both autosave to your browser so you can pick up where you left off.

  • Full BPMN 2.0 notation via BPMN.io
  • Live structural validation — 13 rules
  • AI coach sidebar (nudges, never solves)
  • Expert reference solution to compare against

Exercise Library

Browse 5 cases

5 curated modelling exercises drawn from real-world scenarios — invoice approvals, leave requests, order fulfilment, and more. Each case comes with a scenario brief, stakeholder context, acceptance criteria, a scoring rubric, and a built-in reference solution.

1 Beginner1 Beginner–Intermediate2 Intermediate1 Intermediate–Advanced

Theory Companion

Read the theory

5 modules of plain-English BPMN theory, written for people who need to understand the why — not just the notation. Each lesson is short, opinionated, and cross-referenced to the exercise library. Progress is saved locally.

How the studio works

  1. 1

    Pick a mode

    Open the studio in free-flow mode to explore with no constraints, or choose a case from the exercise library. Both land on the same BPMN.io canvas — the difference is context.

  2. 2

    Build the diagram

    Use the BPMN.io palette to drag on shapes. The canvas exports standard BPMN 2.0 XML — the same format used by Camunda, Signavio, and every other major BPM tool.

  3. 3

    Read the live validation

    A panel below the canvas shows structural issues as you go: missing start or end events, disconnected tasks, unlabelled gateways, gateway fan-in/fan-out imbalance, and more. Each finding includes the reason — not just what's wrong.

  4. 4

    Ask the AI coach

    The sidebar coach sees your current diagram structure and the validation findings. Ask it to explain a finding, get a hint about the scenario, or talk through a modelling decision. It will not redraw the diagram — you have to.

  5. 5

    Compare to the reference

    Exercise cases include an expert reference solution you can load onto the canvas. It's not the only right answer — but it shows one clean approach and surfaces gaps in yours.

What the validator checks

Every diagram change runs through 13 structural rules client-side — no server round-trip.

Exactly one start event
At least one end event
All tasks reachable from start
No disconnected (floating) tasks
No disconnected (floating) gateways
All gateways labelled
Exclusive gateways have ≥ 2 outgoing flows
Parallel gateways have ≥ 2 outgoing flows
Gateway fan-in/fan-out balance
Tasks use Verb + Noun naming
No empty pools or lanes
All edges have a source and target
Sequence flows don't cross pool boundaries

Data and privacy

No account required. Modello is a prototype — there is no sign-in, no database, and no user tracking.

Everything stays in your browser. Your diagrams autosave to localStorage under the key modello.autosave.v1.*. Theory progress saves under modello.progress.v1. Clearing browser storage wipes both.

AI messages are not stored. Each conversation with the coach starts fresh. Messages are sent to the AI provider on each request and are not persisted.

Use with caution

Modello is a personal side project built for exploratory purposes. Theory lessons, exercise content, validation rules, and AI coaching responses are substantially AI-generated and have not been reviewed by a qualified BPMN instructor or business analysis professional. Content may be incomplete, imprecise, or wrong.

Passing the structural validator does not mean a diagram is correct or fit for professional use. If you are learning BPMN for professional purposes, treat this tool as a supplement — not a substitute — for accredited training, peer review, and authoritative references like the OMG BPMN 2.0 specification.

The author accepts no responsibility for decisions, errors, or outcomes arising from use of this tool. Use at your own risk.

Where to start

New to BPMN? Read Module 1 of the theory first — it takes about 10 minutes and gives you enough to start drawing. Comfortable with the basics? Load the first exercise case and see how far you get before asking the coach.