The best design depends on the job

By How things are built · myAudience

myAudience · AI-generated illustration · Original generated illustration; not documentary evidence

A design may need to be lighter, easier to repair or cheaper to build, while still meeting safety requirements. Write down your priorities before choosing an option. Otherwise the prettiest prototype can win for the wrong reason. NASA’s systems-engineering material describes defining requirements and evaluating alternatives; our takeaway is practical: explain the trade-off you accepted, and what evidence would make you reconsider it.