System design is the process of defining the elements of a system, as well as their interactions and relationships, in order to satisfy a set of specified requirements.
It involves taking a problem statement, breaking it down into smaller components and designing each component to work together effectively to achieve the overall goal of the system. This process typically includes analyzing the current system (if any) and determining any deficiencies, creating a detailed plan for the new system, and testing the design to ensure that it meets the requirements. It is an iterative process that may involve multiple rounds of design, testing, and refinement.
In software engineering, system design is a phase in the software development process that focuses on the high-level design of a software system, including the architecture and components.
It is also one of the important aspects of the interview process for software engineers. Most of the companies have a dedicated system design interview round, where they ask the candidates to design a system for a given problem statement. The candidates are expected to come up with a detailed design of the system, including the architecture, components, and their interactions. They are also expected to discuss the trade-offs involved in their design and the alternatives that they considered.