How can you write effective summaries for your systems design portfolio?

1 Know your audience

Before you start writing your summaries, you need to understand who you are writing for and what they are looking for. Depending on your target audience, you might need to adjust the level of detail, the tone, and the focus of your summaries. For example, if you are applying for a job as a systems designer, you might want to emphasize the technical aspects, the trade-offs, and the performance metrics of your systems. On the other hand, if you are pitching a project to a non-technical stakeholder, you might want to highlight the business value, the user experience, and the impact of your systems.

2 Use a clear structure

When writing a summary, it is important to create a clear and consistent structure that allows the reader to easily follow your logic and understand your decisions. This structure could begin with an introduction that provides an overview of the problem, goal, and scope of the system. Then, explain why it is important, interesting, or challenging. Next, describe the high-level architecture of the system, including its components, interactions, and data flow. Illustrate this with diagrams, charts, or tables. After that, explain how you implemented the system with details on the technologies, tools, frameworks, or languages used. Provide code snippets, screenshots, or links to demonstrate your work. Then evaluate your system by discussing the testing, debugging, monitoring, or benchmarking methods you used. Show quantitative or qualitative results such as performance metrics, user feedback or lessons learned. Finally, conclude the summary by summarizing the main points and achievements as well as any limitations of your system. Offer suggestions for future improvements or extensions.

3 Be concise and specific

A summary is not a place to write long paragraphs or detailed explanations. You should aim to convey the most relevant and important information in a concise and specific way. Avoid unnecessary words, jargon, or repetition. Use precise and concrete terms, such as numbers, names, or examples, instead of vague or abstract ones. For example, instead of saying "The system can handle a large amount of data", say "The system can process 10 TB of data per day". Instead of saying "The system uses a popular framework", say "The system uses Apache Spark for distributed computing".

4 Show your skills and value

A summary is not only a description of your system, but also a showcase of your skills and value as a systems designer. You should highlight how you applied your knowledge, creativity, and problem-solving abilities to design and implement your system. You should also demonstrate how your system solves a real-world problem, delivers a positive user experience, or creates a positive impact. Use numbers, facts, or testimonials to support your claims. For example, instead of saying "The system improves the efficiency of the process", say "The system reduces the processing time by 50% and saves $100,000 per year".

5 Proofread and polish

Finally, you should proofread and polish your summaries before you publish them on your portfolio. You should check for spelling, grammar, punctuation, or formatting errors that might distract or confuse the reader. You should also ask for feedback from someone else, preferably someone who is familiar with systems design or your target audience. You should revise and improve your summaries based on the feedback, and make sure they are clear, accurate, and engaging.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?