--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It seems to be a law of design that for…" description: "\"It seems to be a law of design that for every advantage introduced through redesign, there is an accompanying unintended disadvantage.\" — Henry Petroski" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e3e/henry-petroski-10198_advantage_it-seems-to-be-a-law-of-design-that-for_1658823.png" --- # It seems to be a law of design that for every advantage… ![“It seems to be a law of design that for every advantage introduced through redesign, there is an accompanying unintended disadvantage.” quote by Henry Petroski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e3e/henry-petroski-10198_advantage_it-seems-to-be-a-law-of-design-that-for_1658823.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e3e/henry-petroski-10198_advantage_it-seems-to-be-a-law-of-design-that-for_1658823.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e3e/henry-petroski-10198_advantage_it-seems-to-be-a-law-of-design-that-for_1658823.png) > “It seems to be a law of design that for every advantage introduced through redesign, there is an accompanying unintended disadvantage.” [Henry Petroski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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. Every design improvement brings an unexpected drawback. **In simple terms:** Improvements have hidden costs. Key Takeaway Anticipate and mitigate side effects. Themes design trade‑offs innovation Mood analytical cautious Type technical reflective When to use this quote - product development - urban planning - software updates Key Concepts systems thinking risk analysis engineering Questions to Reflect On - What unintended consequences might your design cause? - How can you balance benefits and risks? A Different Perspective Over‑emphasis on flaws can stall progress. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Advantage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advantage/) [Design](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/design/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) ## Related quotes > [I believe one should design for the advantage of the largest mass of people, first and always. 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Bush has much to evaluate: he has presided over the most sweeping redesign of U.S. grand strategy since the presidency of Franklin…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lewis-gaddis/george-w-bush-has-much-to-evaluate-he-has-presided-over-the-most/) [John Lewis Gaddis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lewis-gaddis/) > [“Foxconn services offering best price for redesigning the website. Redesign your One Page website only in $59”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/foxconn-services/foxconn-services-offering-best-price-for-redesigning-the-website/) Foxconn services > [After your first job, is anyone asking you what your GPA was? No, they don't care. 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Philosophy is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-leary/the-aim-of-human-life-is-to-know-thyself-think-for-yourself-question/) [Timothy Leary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-leary/) ## More by Henry Petroski > [All conventional wisdom has an element of truth to it, but good design requires more than an element of truth - it requires an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-petroski/all-conventional-wisdom-has-an-element-of-truth-to-it-but-good-design/) [Henry Petroski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-petroski/) > [It is really want, rather than need, that drives the process of technological evolution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-petroski/it-is-really-want-rather-than-need-that-drives-the-process-of/) [Henry Petroski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-petroski/) > [A failed structure provides a counterexample to a hypothesis and shows us incontrovertibly what cannot be done, while a structure that stands without incident…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-petroski/a-failed-structure-provides-a-counterexample-to-a-hypothesis-and/) [Henry Petroski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-petroski/) > [Everything we do is designed, whether we're producing a magazine, a website, or a bridge. Design is really the creative invention that designs everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-petroski/everything-we-do-is-designed-whether-we-re-producing-a-magazine-a/) [Henry Petroski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-petroski/) > [I employ case studies of failure into my courses, emphasizing that they teach us much more than studies of success. It is not that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-petroski/i-employ-case-studies-of-failure-into-my-courses-emphasizing-that/) [Henry Petroski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-petroski/) > [ 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… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-petroski/whether-or-not-science-can-be-applied-to-that-mental-construct-i-e/) [Henry Petroski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-petroski/) > [Failures are much more dramatic than successes, and people like drama. I think this is why automobile races draw such crowds. People expect spectacular…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-petroski/failures-are-much-more-dramatic-than-successes-and-people-like-drama/) [Henry Petroski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-petroski/) > [The most amazing achievement of the computer software industry is its continuing cancellation of the steady and staggering gains made by the computer hardware…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-petroski/the-most-amazing-achievement-of-the-computer-software-industry-is-its/) [Henry Petroski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-petroski/) > [For as long as I can remember, I have been fascinated by things large and small. I wanted to know what made my watch…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-petroski/for-as-long-as-i-can-remember-i-have-been-fascinated-by-things-large/) [Henry Petroski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-petroski/) > [Successful engineering is all about understanding how things break or fail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-petroski/successful-engineering-is-all-about-understanding-how-things-break-or/) [Henry Petroski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-petroski/) > [The space shuttle was designed, at least in part, to broaden our knowledge of the universe. To scientists, the vehicle was a tool; to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-petroski/the-space-shuttle-was-designed-at-least-in-part-to-broaden-our/) [Henry Petroski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-petroski/) > [Because they are so humbled by their creations, engineers are naturally conservative in their expectations of technology. They know that the perfect system is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-petroski/because-they-are-so-humbled-by-their-creations-engineers-are/) [Henry Petroski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-petroski/) > [Engineering is achieving function while avoiding failure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-petroski/engineering-is-achieving-function-while-avoiding-failure/) [Henry Petroski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-petroski/) > [An over-reliance on past successes is a sure blueprint for future failures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-petroski/an-over-reliance-on-past-successes-is-a-sure-blueprint-for-future/) [Henry Petroski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-petroski/) > [I was always told that I was good in mathematics, and I guess my grades and standardized test scores supported that. My worst subjects…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-petroski/i-was-always-told-that-i-was-good-in-mathematics-and-i-guess-my/) [Henry Petroski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-petroski/) [Explore all 67 Henry Petroski quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-petroski/) ## More Advantage quotes > [Dogmatists have one advantage: they are poor listeners.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frans-de-waal/dogmatists-have-one-advantage-they-are-poor-listeners/) [Frans de Waal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frans-de-waal/) > [ Next came the Patent laws. These began in England in 1624; and, in this country, with the adoption of our constitution. Before then \[these?\],… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/next-came-the-patent-laws-these-began-in-england-in-1624-and-in-this/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [Talented people can predict with great accuracy what's about to happen just a tiny bit ahead of their competitors. It might be two seconds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-maney/talented-people-can-predict-with-great-accuracy-what-s-about-to/) [Kevin Maney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-maney/) > [All I ever wanted was an unfair advantage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-wynn/all-i-ever-wanted-was-an-unfair-advantage/) [Garrison Wynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-wynn/) > [Part of the advantage, and part of the result of trying to be a producer and director, are the practical things, you find. 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I think it's just ingrained in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-blatz/for-some-reason-when-i-decide-to-pursue-something-i-never-have-any/) [Kelly Blatz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-blatz/) > [I think I have good hands, so I try to use them to my advantage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bianca-andreescu/i-think-i-have-good-hands-so-i-try-to-use-them-to-my-advantage/) [Bianca Andreescu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bianca-andreescu/) > [My influences are jazz, blues, European classical music; they are rock music and pop music. So many kinds of music. World music from different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rokia-traore/my-influences-are-jazz-blues-european-classical-music-they-are-rock/) [Rokia Traore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rokia-traore/) > [Baseball needs to put the steroids era behind it by having and enforcing tough rules against all kinds of artificial advantages, so that spring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marvin-olasky/baseball-needs-to-put-the-steroids-era-behind-it-by-having-and/) [Marvin Olasky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marvin-olasky/) > [Daily contact with some teachers is itself all-sided ethical education for the child without a spoken precept. Here, too, the real advantage of male…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-stanley-hall/daily-contact-with-some-teachers-is-itself-all-sided-ethical/) [G. 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