Architecture is a chain of decisions.
Build Real World teaches the chain, including the parts that fail.
Why this exists
Most system-design material begins with boxes. Real systems begin with users, ownership, invariants, and imperfect dependencies. These case studies connect those inputs to concrete schemas, APIs, failure handling, security boundaries, and operational signals.
Method
Each project starts as a simple deployable system. Complexity enters only when a stated workload, correctness rule, or failure mode requires it. The architecture is educational, generic, and does not claim to reproduce any company’s internal systems.
Scope and safety
The material is design education, not production certification. Payment, privacy, safety, accessibility, and regulated workflows require specialist review before real deployment.