About Quote by Henry Petroski
“A common misconception about how things such as space shuttles come to be is that engineers simply apply the theories and equations of science. But this cannot be done until the new thing-to-be is conceived in the engineer's mind's eye. Rather than following from science, engineered things lead it.”
About This Quote
Source Book: Why Buildings Fall Down by Henry Petroski, 1995
Engineers must first imagine a design before scientific principles can be applied, meaning creation precedes theory.
In simple terms: Design comes before math.
Key Takeaway
Imagine first, then calculate.
Themes
creativity
engineering
design
science
innovation
Mood
inquisitive
inspired
Type
educational
philosophical
When to use this quote
- architectural planning
- product development
- spacecraft design
- educational curricula
Key Concepts
Systems thinking
conceptualization
problem solving
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you visualize a solution before any data?
- What constraints shape your mental model?
A Different Perspective
Design imagination can be limited by existing knowledge or resources.
![“[An engineer's] invention causes things to come into existence from ideas, makes world conform to thought; whereas science, by deriving ideas from observation, makes thought conform to existence.” quote by Carl Mitcham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/08a/carl-mitcham-111336_accounts_an-engineer-s-invention-causes-things-to_37806.jpg)
![“Whether or not science can be applied to that mental construct [i.e. the designed entity] is a matter of availability. If there is body of scientific knowledge that can be applied, then it would be foolish not to exploit it. However, if there is none, it does not mean that the thing cannot be…” quote by Henry Petroski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/17d/henry-petroski-10198_availability_whether-or-not-science-can-be-applied-to_341822.jpg)
