System Design Basics
Free Intermediate course · 12 lessons · 4 weeks · Certificate on completion
How real systems are built at scale. Caching, queues, sharding, and the tradeoffs that matter. Across 12 lessons you'll move from fundamentals to a portfolio-ready outcome — at your own pace, with quizzes after each lesson and a final exam to certify your mastery.
What you'll learn
- Scaling fundamentals
- Load balancing
- Caching strategies
- Databases and sharding
- Queues and async work
- CAP and consistency
Skills you'll pick up
- Scaling fundamentals
- Load balancing
- Caching strategies
- Databases and sharding
- Queues and async work
- CAP and consistency
Tools covered
- System Design
- Real-world projects
- Quizzes
- Final exam
Course modules
Module 1: Scaling fundamentals
Module 1 of System Design Basics. 3 lessons · 3h
Module 2: Load balancing
Module 2 of System Design Basics. 3 lessons · 3h
Module 3: Caching strategies
Module 3 of System Design Basics. 3 lessons · 3h
Module 4: Databases and sharding
Module 4 of System Design Basics. 3 lessons · 3h
Lessons in this course
- Scaling fundamentals
- Load balancing
- Caching strategies
- Databases and sharding
- Queues and async work
- CAP and consistency
- Designing a URL shortener
- Designing a feed
- System Design: Deep dive 9
- System Design: Deep dive 10
- System Design: Deep dive 11
- System Design: Deep dive 12
Instructor
Carlos Mendes — Principal Engineer
Carlos Mendes is a Principal Engineer with years of hands-on experience teaching System Design to thousands of learners worldwide.
Certificate
Finish every lesson and pass the final exam to earn a free, verifiable Learnera certificate for System Design Basics. It can be downloaded as a PDF and shared on LinkedIn.
Career outcomes
Median global salary $110,000 per year · median India salary ₹15,00,000 per year · 105,218 open roles worldwide
- System Design Specialist
- Senior System Design Lead
- System Design Consultant
Frequently asked questions
Is the System Design Basics course free?
Yes. Every Learnera course, including System Design Basics, is completely free — lessons, quizzes, the final exam, and the certificate.
How long does System Design Basics take?
12 lessons, typically completed in 4 weeks at a comfortable pace.
Do I get a certificate?
Yes — pass the final exam and you receive a free, verifiable certificate you can share on LinkedIn.