I have always been fascinated by the way things work and how they came to take the form that they did. Writing about these things satisfies my curiosity about the made world while at the same time giving me an opportunity to design a new explanation for the processes that shape it. Henry Petroski curiositydesignexplanation share on social
Design is nothing if not decision making. Henry Petroski decisiondesignmake Change image and share on social
Because they are so humbled by their creations, engineers are naturally conservative in their expectations of technology. They know that the perfect system is the stuff of science fiction, not of engineering fact, and so everything must be treated with respect. Henry Petroski conservativecreationengineer share on social
Successful design is not the achievement of perfection but the minimization and accommodation of imperfection. Henry Petroski accommodationachievementdesign Change image and share on social
Many of the familiar little things that we use every day have typically evolved over a period of time to a state of familiarity. They balance form and function, elegance and economy, success and failure in ways that are not only acceptable, but also admirable. Henry Petroski acceptableadmirablebalance share on social
Indeed, an engineer designing a structure is not unlike an artist painting one. Both start with nothing but talent, experience, and inspiration. The fresh piece of paper on the drawing board is as blank as the newly stretched piece of canvas. Henry Petroski artistblankboard share on social
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 designerrorhuman Change image and share on social
For as long as I can remember, I have been fascinated by things large and small. I wanted to know what made my watch tick, my radio play, and my house stand. I wanted to know who invented the bottle cap and who designed the bridge. I guess from early on I wanted to be an engineer. Henry Petroski bottlebridgecap share on social
Relying on nothing but scientific knowledge to produce an engineering solution is to invite frustration at best and failure at worst. Henry Petroski badengineerfailure Change image and share on social
Engineering is achieving function while avoiding failure. Henry Petroski achieveavoidengineer Change image and share on social