Learn System Design as a Junior Engineer - Try for 7 days

Junior Engineers can architect a scalable system now

Are you tired of feeling lost when asked to design a scalable system? Sign up for the free trial and you will discover how to break down complex systems into clear, manageable parts, even if you’re just starting out. Master the skills that top tech companies expect.

The benefits of learning system design early in your career

✅ Gain confidence in building real-world applications, from web apps to AI-powered systems.
✅ Develop an intuitive understanding of system components using our unique “Building Block” method using System Design Theory
✅ Stand out in interviews by demonstrating clear architectural thinking.
✅ Join a supportive community of aspiring system designers who learn and grow together.

Design your first system design blueprint in the first 7 days of signing up (within the free trial)!

With our System Design Theory framework, you won’t just learn concepts – you’ll build. In your first week, you will:

• Work through a real-world case study, applying the 7 essential building blocks of system design.
• Practice breaking down requirements, designing solutions, and understanding trade-offs.
• Receive feedback from peers and mentors to refine your understanding.

How Did I Do This?

#1) Created unique framework tailored to junior engineers - System Design Theory

Unlike other courses that overwhelm you with advanced concepts, our System Design Theory simplifies architecture into just seven building blocks. These blocks are the core components of any system: from social media platforms to AI-driven chatbots. By focusing on these core elements, you gain a clear, intuitive understanding of system design.

Check out my article for more info: 'System Design Theory: Unlocking System Architecture for Junior Engineers"

#2) Created special set of live and community cohort classes - Learn System Design

Learning doesn’t stop at theory. Our community takes you further with live sessions, cohort classes, and peer feedback. You’ll learn through hands-on practice, guided by experienced mentors and fellow engineers.

✅ Weekly Live Sessions: Dive into real-world system design problems and solve them together.
✅ Cohort-Based Learning: Join small groups where you design, review, and improve solutions.
✅ Peer Feedback and Mentorship: Receive constructive feedback to accelerate your growth.
✅ Structured Challenges: Tackle case studies like building social media platforms, intelligent search engines, and more.

This isn’t just a course – it’s a community where you grow your skills with others, gaining practical experience every week. Here's our current course list:

• LSD 1. The Seven Building Blocks (self paced): This self-paced course introduces you to our approach to system design at Learn System Design, tailored for Junior Engineers. Course culminates in final quiz.
• LSD 101 - Weekly Design Practice (live weekly): In this course, the community collaboratively practice system design using the same seven foundational building blocks introduced in LSD 1: The Seven Building Blocks. Course provides weekly opportunities to design new systems and share with the community and instructor for feedback.
• LSD 201 - System Design Fundamentals (cohort): This course provides an essential and engaging foundation for anyone eager to master system design by breaking down digital systems into clear, intuitive concepts. Course culminates in final quiz.
• LSD 210CS - Content & Discovery Systems (cohort): In this course, you’ll explore five practical case studies: Blogging Application, Video Streaming Service, Photo Gallery Application, Search Engine Platform, and Link Shortener Service. Course culminates in final quiz. 
• LSD 211CS: Communication & Collaboration (cohort): This course dives into five distinct system design challenges, each highlighting a different but equally important aspect of building modern applications. Course culminates in final quiz.
• LSD 212CS: Transactional and Marketplace Systems (cohort): This course explores how foundational system design concepts apply to various transactional and marketplace scenarios.  Course culminates in final quiz.
• [Coming in June 2025] LSD 213CS: AI in Applications (cohort): In this course you'll learn how to design AI-powered features like chatbots and semantic search by combining components like vector databases, workers, queues, and caches. 

Who is the host of this community?

Kay Ashaolu [LinkedIn] [University Profile] is the host of this community and he is an Engineering Manager, a University Lecturer, and a former Staff Software Engineer. He has built systems end to end, managed teams that built systems end to end, and taught students to build systems end to end for 20 years. 

His lifelong passion is to see junior engineers grow into the unique problem solvers that the world needs today, as technology touch every aspect of our lives now and in bigger ways as time goes on.

What is Kay's role as host in the community?

All case studies, solutions, and content are authored by Kay. He also is an active participant in the community, providing feedback for case studies, responding to member's system design questions, and also sharing my own experiences throughout the week.

Here's what others have said about the host Kay Ashaolu:

“Kay has that rare gift of not only demonstrating deep expertise in his field, but also being able to communicate his insights in a way that is understandable to wide audiences.” - Former colleague

"One of Kay’s greatest strengths is his commitment to hands-on learning. Recognizingthat practical application is essential to mastering technical concepts, he introduced labsessions led by teaching assistants, ensuring students had ample opportunity topractice what they learned. Kay himself conducts in-class demonstrations [...], which help bridge the gap between theory and practice." - Former Student

“Professor Kay’s approach [...] is very unique. He has this incredible ability to make any complex technical challenge seem very simple.”  — Former student 

"Kay is deeply committed to creating an inclusive, supportive learning environment. He is incredibly accommodating to his students’ needs—always going above and beyond to ensure they have the resources and encouragement required to succeed. His approachability and genuine care make him an invaluable resource, especially for those aspiring to enter the software-engineering industry. Many students, myself included, have benefited from his guidance on technical skills, career advice, and navigating the software job market." — Former student

"Kay also has a strong commitment to creating a welcoming, encouraging learning environment. He consistently goes beyond what is expected to ensure his students have the tools and support they need to succeed." - Former student

Who is Learn System Design for?

• Aspiring engineers looking to deeply understand how to design systems
• Junior engineers in industry who want to jumpstart their careers
• Technical partners that seek to understand the essence of how systems are designed
  

Who is Learn System Design NOT for?

• People cramming for a system design interview next week
• Engineers who prefer to learn in isolation
• Anyone only looking to “just get a job”


Do you need prior experience to join?

No prior system design experience is needed to join Learn System Design for Junior Engineers. Upon joining our welcome checklist will guide you through the community to get you ready to jump into your first system architecture using our seven building block method.

What differentiates Learn System Design from other courses, resources, and communities?

• It establishes a weekly habit to learn system design. The weekly cadence allows your mind to make the necessary connections to intuitively understand how to build systems.
• It introduces the benefits of the case study format. Case studies focus on introducing a real world problem and focusing on solving the problem at hand. This format is closer to system design interviews as well as on the job development.  
• It provides the opportunity to be supported by others within a safe community. We all need support, and this community will give you mutual support.

Ready to join us? Sign up now!

Imagine where you’ll be a year from now—confident, capable, and building scalable systems with ease. Make that future happen. Join us today!