SYSTEM
DESIGN
@Mahendra Choudhary
1. Fully Understand the Problem
• Why We Fail:
Often, candidates rush into
designing without fully grasping the
requirements, leading to incomplete
or irrelevant solutions.
• What to Do:
•Clarify Requirements: Start by
asking questions to de ne the
scope (e.g., scale, users, latency
requirements, data consistency,
etc.).
•Identify Constraints: Understand
functional (features, use cases) and
non-functional requirements
(scalability, availability, latency).
•Discuss Trade-offs: Con rm
what’s more important—
performance, cost, or reliability.
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Example Questions to Ask:
• Who are the users? What are the
key use cases?
• Expected traf c: How many users?
What kind of requests?
• How much data are we dealing with
(per day, month)?
• What is the acceptable latency for
requests?
• Is the system read-heavy, write-
heavy, or balanced?
@Mahendra Choudhary
fi
2. Break the Problem into
Subsystems
•Why We Fail:
Diving straight into technical
details without structuring the
solution can cause confusion.
• What to Do:
•Split the system into logical
components (e.g., API layer,
database, caching, messaging).
•Prioritize subsystems based on the
requirements (e.g., focus on
scalability if user base is large).
•Tackle high-level architecture rst
before zooming in on details.
@Mahendra Choudhary
fi
3. Design for Scale and Reliability
•Why We Fail:
Candidates often ignore edge
cases like high traf c spikes, fault
tolerance, or data replication.
• What to Do:
• Scalability: Design for horizontal
scaling (e.g., load balancers,
distributed databases).
• Reliability: Ensure high
availability with redundancy, failover
mechanisms, and disaster recovery
plans.
• Data Consistency: Choose the
right balance between eventual
consistency and strong consistency
depending on use cases.
@Mahendra Choudhary
fi
4. Communicate Throughout
the Process
• Why We Fail:
Not explaining your thought process
makes it hard for the interviewer to
follow your reasoning.
• What to Do:
• Speak aloud as you work through
the design.
• Explain trade-offs for each
decision (e.g., “I chose NoSQL here
because the system is write-heavy
and schema-less”).
• Draw diagrams as you explain
(e.g., high-level architecture,
component interactions).
@Mahendra Choudhary
5. Address Edge Cases
and Bottlenecks
• Why We Fail:
Neglecting failure scenarios like
server crashes, network delays, or
high-concurrency issues.
• What to Do:
• Identify bottlenecks (e.g.,
database write throughput, single
points of failure).
• Propose solutions (e.g., sharding,
caching, retries).
• Discuss edge cases explicitly
(e.g., “What happens if this server
goes down?”).
@Mahendra Choudhary
6. Optimize for Real-World Use
• Why We Fail:
Overengineering or focusing on
irrelevant details wastes time.
• What to Do:
• Start simple and iterate: Focus on
a basic solution rst, then optimize
for scalability or ef ciency.
• Make practical choices (e.g., “Use
a CDN for static content instead of
custom caching”).
• Discuss deployment, monitoring,
and maintenance plans brie y.
@Mahendra Choudhary
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7. Manage Time Effectively
• Why We Fail:
Spending too much time on minor
details or one component.
• What to Do:
• Allocate time wisely: High-level
design (10–15 mins), key
components (20–30 mins), trade-
offs (5–10 mins).
• Focus on areas that align with the
question’s priority (e.g., scalability
for high-traf c apps).
@Mahendra Choudhary
fi
8. Learn Common Design Patterns
• Why We Fail:
Lack of familiarity with proven
architectural patterns can slow
down thinking.
• What to Do:
• Study commonly used patterns
like microservices, message
queues, sharding, load balancing,
and caching.
• Understand trade-offs (e.g., CAP
theorem, monolith vs.
microservices).
@Mahendra Choudhary
9. Prepare and Practice
• Why We Fail:
Walking into the interview
unprepared can lead to
nervousness and missteps.
• What to Do:
• Practice designing systems like
URL shorteners, chat apps, or le
storage.
• Use mock interviews to re ne your
approach.
@Mahendra Choudhary
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10. End with a Summary
• Why We Fail:
Forgetting to summarize can leave
the impression of an incomplete
solution.
• What to Do:
• Recap the key decisions and
trade-offs.
• Highlight how the design meets
the requirements.
• Mention possible future
improvements (e.g., adding
machine learning for
personalization).
@Mahendra Choudhary
Final Thoughts
System design interviews are not just
about nding the perfect solution but
demonstrating a structured approach,
clear communication, and
understanding trade-offs. Focus on
simplicity, scalability, and clarity to
leave a strong impression.
@Mahendra Choudhary
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