What is the difference between 'top-down' and 'bottom-up' design?

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Your interviewer will likely ask you knowledge-based questions to understand how well you are able to explain concepts to others. Be prepared for questions like this one by practicing a few possibilities ahead of time. In this case, top-down and bottom-up are different ways to approach information processing and are typically used as design methodologies. You may be asked this question if you are working in product development. Top-down design starts with a higher level system view that is slowly broken down into subsystems. Bottom-up design starts at the subsystem or component level and builds up from there. It's often useful to relate this to a real-world design problem.

"Top-down design and bottom-up design are two different ways to approach a particular problem. Top-down design begins with a higher-level view of a system and then breaks down into specific subsystems as development continues. Bottom-up design starts with the subsystem or component and builds upward until a complete system is reached. As an example, if I were designing a wheelbarrow, then top-down design would initially ask how heavy it needed to be or the load it needs to carry. Bottom-up design might instead focus on a particular wheel diameter needed or the shear strength of the axle in the wheel."

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How to Answer: What is the difference between 'top-down' and 'bottom-up' design?

Advice and answer examples written specifically for a Mechanical Engineer job interview.

7. What is the difference between 'top-down' and 'bottom-up' design?

How to Answer

Your interviewer will likely ask you knowledge-based questions to understand how well you are able to explain concepts to others. Be prepared for questions like this one by practicing a few possibilities ahead of time. In this case, top-down and bottom-up are different ways to approach information processing and are typically used as design methodologies. You may be asked this question if you are working in product development. Top-down design starts with a higher level system view that is slowly broken down into subsystems. Bottom-up design starts at the subsystem or component level and builds up from there. It's often useful to relate this to a real-world design problem.

Written by Jason Toby on October 12th, 2020

Answer Example

"Top-down design and bottom-up design are two different ways to approach a particular problem. Top-down design begins with a higher-level view of a system and then breaks down into specific subsystems as development continues. Bottom-up design starts with the subsystem or component and builds upward until a complete system is reached. As an example, if I were designing a wheelbarrow, then top-down design would initially ask how heavy it needed to be or the load it needs to carry. Bottom-up design might instead focus on a particular wheel diameter needed or the shear strength of the axle in the wheel."

Written by Jason Toby on October 12th, 2020

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