Case Studies
System design, worked out loud.
Each case study walks through a classic problem one iteration at a time — showing what breaks, why, and how the diagram has to change. See how Archie helps you improve the design step by step.
- Beginner17 min read
Designing a URL shortener
From one API + one Postgres to a globally distributed redirect fabric — five revisions, each driven by the thing that broke.
Read the case study - Intermediate18 min read
Designing a rate limiter
From per-process counters to regional token buckets and adaptive abuse controls - five revisions that expose the traps in a deceptively small interview prompt.
Read the case study - Advanced22 min read
Designing a video streaming platform
From one origin server to a CDN-backed, transcoded, regionally aware playback platform with reliability, content protection, and cost controls across six revisions.
Read the case study