Introduction to Data Modeling and Database Design

Organized and scalable data structures form the backbone of modern software engineering and analytics. This course guides you through the foundational principles of data modeling, giving you the skills to design robust database architectures from the ground up. You will build a thorough understanding of conceptual, logical, and physical data models. Starting with core terminology and entity-relationship concepts, you will learn how to identify entities, define relationships, establish primary and foreign keys, and eliminate data redundancy through normalization techniques. What you'll learn: - Understand core data modeling concepts, terminology, and architecture principles - Design conceptual, logical, and physical entity-relationship structures - Apply normalization rules from first normal form through third normal form to ensure data integrity - Define appropriate data types, constraints, and relationships for scalable databases - Compare relational database modeling with dimensional modeling and star schema fundamentals for modern analytics - Practice translating real-world business requirements into clean, structured data models The course begins with foundational vocabulary and conceptual theory before progressing to practical normalization exercises and schema design scenarios. Written for absolute beginners, this course requires no prior database or programming experience. Start reading today to build confident database design skills.