What high level design encompasses in HLD - Cheat Sheet & Quick Revision

Recall & Review

beginner

What is the main purpose of High Level Design (HLD)?

HLD provides a big picture view of the system, showing how components interact and the overall architecture without going into detailed coding or implementation.

beginner

Name three key components typically included in a High Level Design document.

1. System architecture diagram<br>2. Module/component descriptions<br>3. Data flow and interaction between components

intermediate

How does High Level Design differ from Low Level Design?

HLD focuses on the overall system structure and relationships between modules, while Low Level Design details the internal logic, algorithms, and data structures within each module.

intermediate

Why is scalability considered in High Level Design?

Because HLD plans how the system can grow and handle more users or data by designing flexible components and choosing appropriate technologies early on.

beginner

What role do external interfaces play in High Level Design?

They define how the system communicates with other systems or users, specifying APIs, protocols, and data formats at a high level.

Which of the following is NOT typically part of High Level Design?

A Module interaction overview

B Detailed code logic

C System architecture diagram

D Technology stack selection

Detailed code logic is part of Low Level Design, not High Level Design.

What does High Level Design primarily focus on?

A Database indexing

B Detailed algorithms

C Unit testing

D Overall system structure

HLD focuses on the overall system structure and component relationships.

Which document would you expect to find a data flow diagram in?

A High Level Design

B Low Level Design

C Test Plan

D User Manual

Data flow diagrams showing component interactions are part of High Level Design.

Why is technology stack selection important in High Level Design?

A It is used for writing unit tests

B It defines variable names

C It affects system scalability and maintainability

D It determines user interface colors

Choosing the right technology stack impacts how well the system can grow and be maintained.

Which of these is a key output of High Level Design?

A System architecture diagram

B Debug logs

C Code comments

D Class method implementations

System architecture diagrams are a key output of High Level Design.

Explain what High Level Design encompasses and why it is important in system development.

Think about how HLD helps teams understand the system before coding.

Describe the difference between High Level Design and Low Level Design with examples.

Compare the scope and detail level of each design phase.