Here's how you can demonstrate your Systems Design skills in a portfolio.

Adding visual representation helps engineers to simplify there discussions involving the architecture in general because there are some junior developers also in your team which might still be learning. Also it helps your remember some important design calls you made for optimization or for some business problem in general.

One thing I have found helpful is creating end to end mind maps for your requirement encompassing systems and functions. Start with basics and bring together stakeholders to dive deep. This exercise often brings more clarity for both business and technical perspectives.

Select key designs that best demonstrate your expertise and create clear, labeled diagrams, flowcharts, and system architecture maps to outline the overall structure and processes within the system. Ensure each visual is neat, consistently colored, and accompanied by brief explanations that highlight the logic and considerations behind the design.

Your visual aids need to be tailored to the audience. The system architecture needs to defined from various perspectives to assure that everyone involved understands the purpose and what must be done. Examples include: 1. How will the system be tested and maintained? 2. What do the system designers and implementers need to know? 3. How will the system be used? This perspective depends on the user - operator, person who assesses the data/information output, people or systems that input data, customers, etc.

To demonstrate your systems design skills in a portfolio, showcase case studies detailing projects you've led or contributed to. Include visual diagrams, flowcharts, and architectural blueprints that highlight your design approach. Provide explanations of the challenges you faced, your problem-solving strategies, and the impact of your design solutions. Highlight any innovative technologies or methodologies you incorporated, along with any measurable outcomes that demonstrate the success of your designs.

Emphasize any unique constraints you overcame and the innovations you introduced, as this highlights your ability to adapt and think creatively within the systems design framework. This approach not only showcases your technical skills but also your capacity for innovative and strategic thinking in complex scenarios.

I like the STAR approach for any summary, this helps keeping it on short and on point. S = situation T = task A = action R = result

When summarizing projects in your portfolio for Systems Design: Highlight project goals and purpose succinctly. Outline the system architecture with a focus on scalability and reliability. List key technologies and frameworks used. Discuss challenges faced and innovative solutions implemented. Emphasize project outcomes and impact achieved. Include visual aids like architectural diagrams and relevant screenshots. Reflect on lessons learned for continuous improvement. These elements succinctly demonstrate your Systems Design expertise to potential employers or clients.

I generally demonstrate this as a part of first step and merge this where we had drawn the system outline. All summaries are the outcome of the previous step.

I would recommend the following sources for technical depth: 1. Reading research papers 2. InfoQ blogs and videos 3. Book = Designing Data-Intensive Applications

Focus on key areas including (but not limited to): cross-domain collaboration, technology integration, and supplier ecosystem.

This is the hard core of any system design and most us fails to outline real challenges. Technical depth is not easy to gain and this required years of experience in that particular domain for which System Design is going to design and develop. Project Manager must not hesitate to hire some Domain expert at this stage and must fetch all of the Logical, mathematical and real life issues' details. I would say that deeper we could dive, then easier it would be to complete the system development successfully.

Some ways to get started: 1. Dive into basics and go with renowned books and articles in first go. 2. For Electrical engineering basics understanding go to NPTEL and study required topics from well versed IIT professors. 3. Go through various standards which are the backbone of designing of various equipments. 4. Try to get answers of every why and how questions which comes first into your mind. Knowing that you know little is itself a quality of learning and motivation to go into technical depth.

Show how data enabled your decision making. I'd argue that mentioning the minimum necessary is the best way to avoid getting lost down rabbit holes.

Emphasize a user-centric focus by highlighting how design decisions prioritize user needs and experiences. Showcase how user interface designs, usability testing, and feedback loops were integrated to ensure solutions align closely with user expectations and enhance overall user satisfaction.

User-centric system design prioritizes the user throughout the process. This means understanding their needs, wants, and limitations. By incorporating user research and feedback, the system becomes intuitive, efficient, and enjoyable to use, leading to greater user satisfaction and system adoption.

It's important to remember that scalability and performance are often intertwined. Designing a system for extreme scalability might introduce some performance overhead. Conversely, a highly optimized system for peak performance might not be easily scalable for future growth. The key is to find a balance that meets your specific system requirements and anticipated user base. By carefully considering scalability and performance during system design.

I have often found that a comprehensive walkthrough helps in demonstrating the depth. I would like to add some weightage to each aspects of the complete experience so that the other answers/options don’t see zero sum. 1. Narration of situation - 10% 2. Solutions tenets considered 10% 3. High level component design 10% 4. System design - 40% 5. Trade-offs explained 10% 6. Performance measurement plan 10% 7. Continuous Improvements roadmap 10%

Cross-functional teams bring together individuals from diverse departments, each with unique expertise. This blend of perspectives fosters a wealth of benefits: Broader View, Better Decisions: Marketing understands the customer's needs, engineering grasps technical feasibility, and finance weighs in on cost implications. When these viewpoints converge, decisions become more informed and well-rounded. Innovation Unleashed: By stepping outside their silos, team members spark new ideas. A designer might suggest a creative solution to a marketing challenge, or a salesperson might identify a product improvement opportunity based on customer interactions.