In this talk, we will present a system-aware photonic integrated circuit (PIC) design approach. Our discussion will focus on the innovative capabilities of the VPIphotonics Design Suite, which seamlessly integrates industry-leading optical transmission system simulations with our PIC design solution. We explore how this integrated approach empowers researchers and engineers to design cutting-edge PICs while gaining a comprehensive understanding of how these PICs impact the overall system performance. Through real-world examples, we'll demonstrate our schematic-based PIC design process and investigate implications for diverse applications such as LiDAR, Free Space Optical (FSO) satellite links, Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) systems, or direct detect/coherent telecom systems.