Among Quote by Henry Petroski
“Because every design must satisfy competing objectives, there necessarily has to be compromise among, if not the complete exclusion of, some of those objectives, in order to meet what are considered the more important of them.”
About This Quote
Source Book: "Design Paradigms: Case Histories of Error and Judgment in Engineering" by Henry Petroski, 1995
Design must balance conflicting goals, often requiring trade‑offs or eliminating some aims to prioritize the most critical.
In simple terms: Design needs trade‑offs to meet key goals.
Key Takeaway
Prioritize essential objectives, accept compromises.
Themes
design
trade‑offs
prioritization
engineering
Mood
analytical
pragmatic
Type
technical
philosophical
When to use this quote
- product development
- urban planning
- software architecture
- policy making
Key Concepts
Systems thinking
optimization
constraint management
Questions to Reflect On
- Which objectives are truly essential?
- How do you decide what to sacrifice?
A Different Perspective
Compromise can dilute overall quality if not managed carefully.
![“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)
