Database design & normalization

Summary

Being able to design a sensible schema on the spot — identifying entities, relationships, and appropriate normalization for a given problem — a frequent interview exercise.

• 1Practice designing a schema for a common prompt, e.g. a ride-sharing app, in 10 minutes.
• 2Be ready to justify a deliberate denormalization decision if asked.
• 3Know how to talk through indexes and their impact on a design.