What is the outcome of system design?

• A. The architecture, framework and structure that supports the process in progressing to system implementation and testing.
• B. A roadmap that allows testers to determine whether the system can withstand peak volume transactions.
• C. An accounting of all the costs involved with the selection, implementation, and maintenance of a system.
• D. An assurance that the users will be totally satisfied with the system being designed.

Answer: (A)

System design yields the architecture, framework, and structure that guides how the system will be built and moved forward to implementation and testing. In this phase, you specify the components, how they interact, data flows, interfaces, and the nonfunctional requirements like performance, security, scalability, and maintainability. This design gives developers a concrete plan to implement and provides testers with the basis to verify that the system meets requirements. The other options describe outcomes tied to later steps or different concerns—planning for peak load targets performance testing, estimating costs relates to budgeting, and aiming for user satisfaction concerns usability and acceptance rather than the design itself.