Answering system design questions in an interview requires a structured and comprehensive approach. System design becomes more important as you progress to higher-level positions, but it can also be relevant for SDE-1 interviews, especially if the company places an emphasis on understanding your architectural thinking and problem-solving skills. Here's a better approach to tackle system design questions and how deep discussions can go in interviews:

Approach to System Design Questions:

1. Clarify Requirements:
2. Understand the problem requirements, constraints, and use cases. Ask questions to clarify any ambiguities.
3. High-Level Overview:
4. Start with a high-level description of the system's components and interactions. This sets the context for your detailed design.
5. Break Down the Problem:
6. Divide the problem into functional modules. Identify the core components, such as the database, application server, front-end, external APIs, etc.
7. Scale and Performance Considerations:
8. Discuss scalability requirements and how the system would handle increased load. Mention techniques like load balancing, caching, and sharding.
9. Data Storage and Management:
10. Explain your choice of database (SQL/NoSQL), data schema, and how data would be stored and accessed efficiently.
11. System Communication:
12. Describe how different components of the system communicate with each other. This might involve APIs, message queues, and event-driven architecture.
13. Fault Tolerance and Availability:
14. Discuss strategies for ensuring high availability, such as redundancy, failover, and disaster recovery.
15. Security Measures:
16. Mention how the system will handle user authentication, authorization, and data security. Discuss encryption, secure APIs, and best practices.
17. Consider Cost and Resources:
18. Address cost implications, especially in cloud-based environments. Discuss cost-effective solutions and resource management.
19. Draw Diagrams:
20. Use diagrams (block diagrams, flowcharts) to visualize the system's architecture. This helps you communicate your design clearly.

Depth of Discussion:

The depth of discussion during a system design interview can vary based on the role, company, and interviewer's expectations. For an SDE-1 interview:

1. Basics and Core Concepts:
2. Understand and discuss the fundamental concepts of system design, such as scalability, performance, availability, and data storage.
3. Key Components:
4. Address the main components of the system, like database, server, and client-side applications. Explain how they interact.
5. Basic Scalability:
6. Show awareness of techniques like load balancing and database replication for handling increased user load.
7. Simple Diagrams:
8. Use basic diagrams to illustrate the architecture. You don't need an intricate diagram, but clarity is important.
9. Design Trade-offs:
10. Mention trade-offs you'd make based on the system's requirements. This shows critical thinking and decision-making skills.

Remember that the depth of discussion can vary, so be ready to adapt your responses based on the interviewer's cues. If you're aiming for more senior roles in the future, you would delve into greater detail and demonstrate deeper understanding of architectural principles.