GATE CSE IT » Difference Between High-Level and Low-Level Design

Difference Between High-Level and Low-Level Design

The Software Development Life Cycle includes phases such as planning, requirements assessment,  design, execution, analysis, documentation, testing, and so on. Each step is further subdivided into tasks with well-defined goals and outcomes.

Analysis & design are phases in which the existing architecture and execution method of developing a software product are defined.

The process of developing a system is known as system design. So, before you begin building any software system, keep the following points in mind.

  • How many users will access this?
  • What all features do the application will have?
  • How much do we want to scale our application, and what is the allowed cost for that?
  • At a time, how many requests will come to the application?

Therefore, one begins creating apps while keeping these factors in mind. Suppose an aspirant understands how other apps (such as Twitter, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Facebook) operate. In that case, he can quickly and more effectively construct the application while developing any application.

When creating any system, two types of designs are used. 

  1. High-Level Design (HLD).
  2. Low-Level Design (LLD).

High-Level Design and Low-Level Design are two essential milestones in these phases. While low-level language handles on a microscopic level, high-level design engages on a massive level. Both of them differ in more ways than that. Read on to find out more.

What Is High-Level Design?

High-Level Design (HLD) is an abbreviation for general system design, which refers to the system’s overall design. It defines the application’s general description/architecture. A thorough perspective of the software design process is provided by high-level design (HLD), including information on the system architecture, database management, applications,  and a detailed flowchart of the entire system. It is a roadmap that combines the many processes and modules, their goals, varying factors, outcomes, architecture, and schedule for developing the programme. A business concept is converted into a software service or a product via HLD.

System architectural documentation, app development flowcharts, and other items are instances of HLD in software design.

High-Level Design, or HLD, is where the designer only concentrates on the different models, such as

  • Flow Diagrams
  • Decision Tables
  • Decision Trees
  • Flow Charts,
  • Data dictionaries.

The solution architect creates the HLD, which describes the application’s comprehensive description or architecture.

What Is Low-Level Design?

Low-Level Design, often known as HLD, refers to the component-level design process. It is often referred to as micro-level design.   It transforms the Top Level Solution into the Detailed Solution. It is produced as a secondary means of following High-Level Design. Low-Level Design (LLD) is concerned with the individual planning, programming, and implementation of the many HLD components, modules, and phases. An individual LLD document is created for each component in an HLD. It contains detailed information on the module’s coding, execution, quality assurance testing, and integration into the programme. By breaking down HLD components into practical solutions, LLD offers ideas one can put into practice.

  • Low-Level Design, or LLD, is a process during which the designer concentrates on individual elements like a (UI) user interface.
  • The developer manager & designers produce the low-level design.
  • It is sometimes referred to as detailed or micro-level design. The High-Level Solution can be transformed into a Deep Solution using the LLD.

The Distinction Between High-Level Design And Low-Level Design Is As Follows:

S.No.LOW-LEVEL DESIGNHIGH-LEVEL DESIGN
1.LLD is an abbreviation for Low-Level Design.HLD stands for High-Level Design.
2.Low-Level Design, like detailing, refers to the component-level design process.A high-level design is an overall system design related to the entire system design.
3.It provides a full description of each module.It defines the application’s general description/architecture.
4.It is often referred to as micro-level detailed design.It is often referred to as macro-level System design.
5.Designers and developers make it.A solution architect designs it.
6.Low-Level Design explains the module’s functional logic in detail.High-Level Design and describes the module’s concise functioning.
7.It is produced as a secondary means following High-Level Design.It is created initially, which implies it comes before Lower Level Design.
8.Participants in Low-Level Design include the design team, operating teams, and implementers.The participants in High-Level Design are the design team, the review team, and the client team.
9.The Low-Level Design process transforms the High-Level Solution into a Detailed Solution.A high-Level Solution transforms a business/client demand into a High-Level Solution.
10.The output criteria in LLD are programme definition and unit tests plan.The output criteria in HLD include database design, functional design, and review records.