Module 1: System Design Methodology: Reading Guide
Use resources selectively. The guide teaches the path; books and videos repair specific gaps.
How To Read For This Module
Close-read requirement framing, back-of-envelope estimation, API/data modeling, request tracing, bottleneck analysis, and failure review. Treat published system designs as worked tradeoff examples, not architectures to memorize. Recalculate every estimate and state which assumption drives each component.
| Mode | Use when | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Close read | The concept is central and still unclear | Reconstruct the argument from memory after reading. |
| Skim | You need vocabulary or context | Capture only terms, diagrams, and examples. |
| Skip for now | The section is advanced or unrelated to current outputs | Add it to optional deep dive, not the main path. |
| Exercise read | You need practice volume | Read only enough to solve the next problem. |
| Reference lookup | You forgot a detail | Open the smallest relevant section, then return to the task. |
Stop-Reading Rules
Stop reading and start producing evidence when you can:
- explain the concept without the page open
- solve one small variant
- name one failure mode
- connect the idea to the module project or portfolio artifact
Active Reading Notes
For every substantial source, write four lines:
- Main claim:
- Example worth preserving:
- What I can now do:
- What I still cannot do:
Resource Triage
If two resources explain the same idea, keep the one that gives better examples, exercises, or implementation detail. Do not collect redundant links for comfort.