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Ultimate Guide to Discussing Requirements in System Design Interview
System design interviews are a critical part of technical assessments for engineering roles, particularly at top-tier companies. The ability to think critically about system architecture, scalability, and tradeoffs is evaluated within a limited timeframe. In this article, we’ll cover how to address functional and non-functional requirements, navigate tradeoffs, and keep the conversation engaging and productive during a system design interview.
1. Clarifying Functional and Non-Functional Requirements
A successful system design begins with a clear understanding of the problem at hand, which means distinguishing between functional and non-functional requirements. Functional requirements describe what the system must do, while non-functional requirements define how well it should perform those tasks.
Functional Requirements:
These should be clarified within the first 10 minutes of the interview since they represent a significant portion of the time (≥20%). It’s critical to quickly brainstorm and jot down a list of requirements rather than discussing them one at a time. By doing so, you can ensure no crucial details are missed.
