A good system design can help optimize the performance of the software, make it easier to develop and maintain, and help ensure that it meets the needs of the customers.
A poorly designed system lead to decreased morale among software engineers as maintenance becomes inefficient and can be a potential risk for the operations of an organization. It can cause low service-level agreements.
Below are 4 tips to get the best from your system design.
1. Embrace a Distributed Design
If the design of the system is only one in a list of tasks to be completed, it may be easier to add the new design than do all existing tasks. Even if the system must be redesigned from scratch, it can be a much better idea than starting over.
2. Work out the Future Use Case
If you can, define the future and existing use cases for the system you are designing and then design the system to accommodate that usage. It’s easy to get caught up in just completing all the current requirements, but if you try to plan the future in detail, it will help you to keep systems from falling apart while trying to get the design done right.
3. Plan for Failure
One of the common weaknesses of software engineers is that they don’t expect mistakes to make it into the final product. This is particularly important for systems that will be maintained over time. The best system designs will anticipate failure and account for it wherever possible.
4. Make It Easy on Yourself
A major weakness of poor system design is bad design. If a system becomes difficult to use, it can be hard to keep working on it. One of the best ways to avoid this is through the use of simple, easy-to-use tools.
