14. Overengineering (or over-engineering,[1] or over-kill) is the act of designing a product or providing a solution to a problem in an overly
complicated manner, where a simpler solution can be demonstrated to exist with the same efficiency and effectiveness as that of the
original design.[2]
Overengineering differs from Planned Obsolescence which seeks to alter a design to produce an artificial limit on a product's lifespan or
otherwise make it unfashionable. Overengineering is often identified with design changes that increase a factor of safety, add functionality,
or overcome perceived design flaws that most users would accept.
Overengineering can be desirable when safety or performance is critical (e.g. in aerospace vehicles and luxury road vehicles), or when
extremely broad functionality is required (e.g. diagnostic and medical tools, power users of products), but it is generally criticized in terms of
value engineering as wasteful of resources such as materials, time and money.
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