Definition:
Design for Partial Failure is a system design principle that assumes some components will fail, so the system is built to continue functioning (possibly with reduced capabilities) instead of completely crashing.
Core idea: Build systems that gracefully handle failures of individual parts, not expect everything to work perfectly all the time.
Example:
Scenario: Online Shopping Website
With Design for Partial Failure:
Recommendation engine crashes
↓
Website still works, just shows:
- "You might also like..." section is empty or shows generic items
- Shopping cart still functions
- Checkout still works
- Users can still browse and buy