Consider scaling: If you expect heavy traffic, consider partitioning tables, caching?

Short answer: frequently accessed data, and using denormalization where appropriate. NoSQL (MongoDB - Optional)

Real-world example (ShopNest)

ShopNest’s SQL Server database stores customers, products, and orders. Good indexes and clear foreign keys keep checkout queries fast and safe.

Say this in the interview

1. Define — one clear sentence (the short answer above).
2. Example — relate it to a project like ShopNest or your real work.
3. Trade-off — when you would not use it.