AI System Design Generator

Transform your project description into professional system architecture diagrams with AI-powered analysis.

Access: /tools/developers/system-design

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Overview

The System Design Generator uses OpenAI GPT-4o-mini to analyze your project requirements and automatically generates interactive architecture diagrams. Features include:

• Natural language input (no technical notation required)
• AI-powered component and connection detection
• Interactive ReactFlow diagram with drag-and-drop
• Automatic layout using Dagre algorithm
• Multiple export formats (PNG, JSON)
• Professional styling with categorized node types

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How to Use

1. Describe your system - Enter a project description (minimum 10 characters)
2. Click "Generate Design" - AI analyzes and identifies components
3. View interactive diagram - Components arranged automatically
4. Customize - Drag nodes to adjust positions
5. Export - Download as PNG image or JSON data

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AI Analysis

What the AI Identifies

The AI acts as a senior solutions architect and extracts:

Components:

• Services and microservices
• Databases and data stores
• External APIs and integrations
• Frontend applications
• Infrastructure components

Connections:

• Data flow between components
• API calls and protocols
• Message queues and events
• Authentication flows

Node Types

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Example Input

Build a real-time chat application with user authentication,
message storage, and push notifications. Users should be able
to create channels and direct message each other. Need to
handle 10,000 concurrent users with message history.

Example Output

Generated Components

Generated Connections

Web Client → API Gateway (HTTPS)
Mobile App → API Gateway (HTTPS)
API Gateway → Auth Service (gRPC)
API Gateway → Chat Service (WebSocket)
Chat Service → Redis (TCP)
Chat Service → PostgreSQL (TCP)
Chat Service → Message Queue (AMQP)
Message Queue → Notification Service (AMQP)
Notification Service → Firebase FCM (HTTPS)

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Interactive Diagram Features

Drag and Drop

• Click and drag any node to reposition
• Layout adjusts in real-time
• Connections automatically re-route

Zoom and Pan

• Mouse wheel to zoom in/out
• Click and drag background to pan
• Fit-to-view button available

Node Selection

• Click node to select
• View component details
• Highlighted connections

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Export Options

PNG Export

• High-resolution image capture
• Transparent background option
• Includes all visible components
• Professional presentation-ready

Use for:

• Documentation
• Presentations
• Stakeholder communication
• Architecture reviews

JSON Export

• Complete diagram data
• Node positions preserved
• Connection metadata
• Re-importable format

JSON Structure:

{
  "nodes": [
    {
      "id": "node-1",
      "type": "server",
      "data": { "label": "API Gateway" },
      "position": { "x": 250, "y": 100 }
    }
  ],
  "edges": [
    {
      "id": "edge-1",
      "source": "node-0",
      "target": "node-1",
      "label": "HTTPS"
    }
  ]
}

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Technical Details

Layout Configuration

{
  rankdir: 'TB',      // Top to bottom flow
  nodesep: 80,        // Horizontal spacing
  ranksep: 100,       // Vertical spacing
  marginx: 20,
  marginy: 20
}

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Tips for Better Diagrams

Be Specific

• "Build an app"
• "Build a SaaS invoicing app with Stripe payments, PDF generation, and email notifications"

Mention Scale

• "Handle users"
• "Handle 50,000 monthly active users with 1,000 concurrent sessions"

Include Technologies

• "Use a database"
• "Use PostgreSQL for transactions and Redis for caching"

Specify Integrations

• "Add payments"
• "Integrate Stripe for subscriptions and one-time payments with webhook handling"

Security Requirements

• "Secure the app"
• "Implement OAuth2 with Google/GitHub login, rate limiting, and API key authentication"

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Complex Example

Input

Design an e-commerce platform with:
- Product catalog with search (Elasticsearch)
- Shopping cart with session persistence
- Checkout with Stripe payments
- Order management with status tracking
- Inventory management synced with warehouse API
- Email notifications (transactional and marketing)
- Admin dashboard for product management
- CDN for product images
- Mobile app with push notifications

Generated Architecture (15 components)

Frontend Layer:

• Next.js Web App
• React Native Mobile App
• Admin Dashboard (React)

API Layer:

• API Gateway (Kong/AWS API Gateway)
• GraphQL Server

Services:

• Product Service
• Cart Service
• Order Service
• Inventory Service
• Notification Service

Data Layer:

• PostgreSQL (orders, users, products)
• Elasticsearch (product search)
• Redis (cart sessions, cache)

External:

• Stripe API
• Warehouse API
• SendGrid
• Firebase FCM
• Cloudflare CDN

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Limitations

• Not for detailed diagrams - Best for high-level architecture, not code-level detail
• Approximate connections - AI infers likely connections; verify for your use case
• No real-time collaboration - Single-user editing only
• No persistence - Diagrams not saved between sessions (export to save)

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Privacy & Security

• Project descriptions sent to OpenAI API
• No diagrams stored on servers
• Export happens client-side
• No tracking of generated content

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Use Cases

• Solutions architects designing new systems
• Developers planning feature implementations
• Technical leads communicating architecture to teams
• Product managers understanding technical scope
• Students learning system design patterns
• Interviewees preparing for system design interviews