What is the difference between system design and system architecture?

Question

Accepted Answer

**Design** — detailed components. **Architecture** — high-level structure.

**System Design:**
- Detailed component design.
- Database schema.
- API design.
- Module interactions.
- Implementation details.

```
Design Example:
- User table: id, name, email, password
- API endpoint: POST /api/login
- Authentication: JWT tokens
- Password hashing: bcrypt
```

**System Architecture:**
- High-level structure.
- Technology stack.
- Infrastructure.
- Scalability approach.
- Integration patterns.

```
Architecture Example:
- Frontend: React SPA
- Backend: Node.js microservices
- Database: PostgreSQL + Redis
- Infrastructure: AWS ECS
- Communication: REST APIs
```

**Key differences:**
- **Design** — detailed.
- **Architecture** — high-level.
- **Design** — components.
- **Architecture** — structure.

Systems Analyst: What is the difference between system design and system architecture?