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API Designer

A focused learning path for API designers covering REST, GraphQL, gRPC, API documentation, versioning, security, and developer experience for building world-class APIs.

roleintermediate12 nodes120h total
  1. 1

    API Design Fundamentals

    Understand API design principles, contracts, and resource modeling

    Completion criteria: Design an API contract for a sample business domain

    Next step: Master RESTful API design

    ⏱ 10h

  2. 2

    RESTful API Design Best Practices

    Design RESTful APIs with proper resources, methods, and status codes

    Prerequisites: ad-01

    Completion criteria: Design a complete REST API following best practices

    Next step: Learn OpenAPI specification

    ⏱ 12h

  3. 3

    OpenAPI Specification

    Write and validate OpenAPI/Swagger specifications for APIs

    Prerequisites: ad-02

    Completion criteria: Create a complete OpenAPI spec for a multi-resource API

    Next step: Study API versioning strategies

    ⏱ 10h

  4. 4

    API Versioning and Evolution

    Implement API versioning strategies and manage breaking changes

    Prerequisites: ad-03

    Completion criteria: Design a versioning strategy for an evolving API

    Next step: Learn GraphQL design

    ⏱ 8h

  5. 5

    GraphQL API Design

    Design GraphQL schemas, resolvers, and queries with best practices

    Prerequisites: ad-04

    Completion criteria: Build a GraphQL API with proper schema design and resolvers

    Next step: Study gRPC and protobuf

    ⏱ 14h

  6. 6

    gRPC and Protocol Buffers

    Design gRPC services with protobuf for high-performance communication

    Prerequisites: ad-05

    Completion criteria: Build a gRPC service with protobuf definitions

    Next step: Learn API authentication and security

    ⏱ 12h

  7. 7

    API Authentication and Security

    Implement OAuth2, API keys, and rate limiting for APIs

    Prerequisites: ad-06

    Completion criteria: Design a complete API security scheme

    Next step: Study API documentation and developer experience

    ⏱ 10h

  8. 8

    API Documentation and Developer Experience

    Create interactive API docs and developer portals

    Prerequisites: ad-07

    Completion criteria: Build an interactive API documentation portal

    Next step: Learn API testing

    ⏱ 10h

  9. 9

    API Testing and Mocking

    Write API tests, contract tests, and set up mocking servers

    Prerequisites: ad-08

    Completion criteria: Create comprehensive API tests with contract validation

    Next step: Study API analytics and monitoring

    ⏱ 10h

  10. 10

    API Analytics and Monitoring

    Track API usage, performance, and health with analytics tools

    Prerequisites: ad-09

    Completion criteria: Set up API analytics dashboard with usage and performance metrics

    Next step: Learn API gateway design

    ⏱ 8h

  11. 11

    API Gateway and Management

    Design API gateway patterns and management strategies

    Prerequisites: ad-10

    Completion criteria: Design an API gateway architecture for microservices

    Next step: Build a capstone API project

    ⏱ 8h

  12. 12

    Capstone API Design Project

    Design and document a complete production-ready API

    Prerequisites: ad-11

    Completion criteria: Deliver a fully designed, documented, and tested API

    Next step: Explore API platforms and event-driven architectures

    ⏱ 18h