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You can almost say that a design error is a human error…

“You can almost say that a design error is a human error because, after all, it's we humans who do the designing.” quote by Henry Petroski
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“You can almost say that a design error is a human error because, after all, it's we humans who do the designing.”

Henry Petroski

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Design mistakes stem from human fallibility; designers must anticipate errors.

In simple terms: Design errors are human errors.

Key Takeaway

Plan for error and test designs.

Themes

design human error engineering

Mood

analytical thoughtful

Type

technical inspirational

When to use this quote

  • architecture
  • product development
  • software engineering
  • education

Key Concepts

human fallibility design process risk management

Questions to Reflect On

  • How can teams embed error‑checking?
  • What role does humility play in design?
A Different Perspective

Over‑reliance on intuition can miss systemic flaws.

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