Requirements

Determine the different ways the system will be used. This includes main functions the system needs to perform and who will use it.


Who are the users:

  • People parking their cars


What are the core features:

  • Spot assignment based on size
  • Spot availability checking
    • Users should be able to see where spots are available
  • Fee calculation
    • Different rates may be applied to different vehicle types


What are the constraints:

  • n number of parking spots on n floors


Define Core Objects

Based on the requirements and use cases, identify the main objects of the system...


User

Vehicle (Motorcycle, sedan, SUV

Garage

Garage floor

Parking space

Parking session


Analyze Relationships

Determine how these objects will interact with each other to fulfill the use cases...


A User can have 0-many vehicles


A Garage can have 1-many floors


A Garage floor can have 1-many parking spaces


A space can have 0-1 parking sessions



Establish Hierarchy

Design inheritance trees where applicable to promote code reuse and polymorphism. This step involves identifying common attributes and behaviors that can be abstracted into parent classes...






Design Patterns

Consider using design patterns (e.g., Factory, Singleton, Observer, Strategy) that fit the problem...






Define Class Members (write code)

Attributes: For each class, define the attributes (data) it will hold...

Methods: Define the methods (functions) that operate on the attributes. Ensure they align with the object's responsibilities and adhere to the principle of encapsulation.


public class Car { ... } // Example







Adhere to SOLID Guidelines

Check and explain whether your design adheres to solid principles (Ask interviewer what SOLID principle is if you can not recall it.)...






Consider Scalability and Flexibility

Explain how your design can handle changes in scale and whether it would be easily to extend with new functionalities...






Create/Explain your diagram(s)

Try creating a class, flow, state and/or sequence diagram using the diagramming tool. Mermaid flow diagrams can be used to represent system use cases. You can ask the interviewer bot to create a starter diagram if unfamiliar with the tool. Briefly explain your diagrams if necessary...






Future improvements

Critically examine your design for any flaws or areas for future improvement...