Frontend System Design1 min readPremium

R – Requirements: Laying the Foundation

Frontend System Design Requirements


In the Requirements phase, your main goal is to clarify precisely what you’re building. Spend no more than 5 minutes here. Quickly define functional requirements and non-functional requirements, and do some basic napkin math to understand the scale you’re dealing with. Clear frontend requirements keep the rest of the interview on track.

Please spend no more than 10% of your interview explaining this portion.

Remember, your interviewer may not explicitly state all the requirements. Ask clarifying questions and structure your thinking.


Step 1: Clarify Functional Frontend Requirements

Divide your requirements clearly into Must-have (core) features and Nice-to-have features:

Type Example
Must-have Infinite scrolling feed
Users can react (like, heart, etc.)
premium content.
Premium

Keep reading with Premium

Get the rest of this guide plus every premium question, solution, and system design deep dive.

  • All premium solutions
  • System design deep dives
  • Company-specific prep

4.9/5 from our users