Developers are incorporating Apache Kafka® into their tech stacks to achieve event-driven systems. Designing effective data payloads is crucial for successful communication between different components in a system. This article provides tips on designing Apache Kafka data payloads, including using all features of Kafka records, organizing data structures, choosing appropriate data formats, and incorporating timestamps. It emphasizes the importance of only including necessary fields in payloads and considering the context and use cases of consumers when designing data structures.