How to design a database schema from scratch

Short answer

Identify entities and relationships, define primary and foreign keys, apply normalization, and choose appropriate data types. For understanding normalization, see what is database normalization. For query performance, see what are database indexes and how do they work.

Steps

1. Gather requirements and identify core entities
2. Draw an ER diagram showing relationships
3. Define tables, columns, primary keys, and foreign keys
4. Apply normalization to reduce redundancy
5. Review and iterate based on query patterns

Tips

• Use consistent naming conventions for tables and columns
• Plan for future growth with appropriate data types
• For schema changes over time, see how to implement database migrations