Elements of System Design: A Periodic Table of Principles

This paper proposes a preliminary taxonomy of system design principles distilled from several domains in computer systems. The goal is a shared, concise vocabulary to help understand structure and trade-offs, compare designs across domains, and communicate choices more clearly. It presents a curated set of 40+ general-purpose design principles, organized into thematic groups mirroring familiar axes of system design. Each principle is tagged with a short symbol for quick reference, emphasizing design intent over specific mechanisms. The aim is to provide a more coherent mental map of system design for students, researchers, and practitioners.