What Is It?
Over-engineering is the process of designing a certain product to make it more complicated or robust than is necessary for the applications, either to assure sufficient factor safety, adequate functionality or design errors. This process is desirable when performance or safety on a specific criterion is very critical or extreme functionalities are required.
But, this thought is criticized as something wasteful from the value engineering points of view. When it comes to design philosophy, this is really opposite of what less is more. This is also considered to be a violation by other people.
Over-engineering occurs in some specialized criteria in the market or in high-end products. This also takes various forms and scopes. This thought is somewhat beneficial in some ways but for some, this is a violation that provides problem. And, these problems must be addressed as early as possible.
Why Is It A Problem?
Over-engineering is a problem by some people since it is opposite to the scope of the value-engineering. Here are some of the reasons why over-engineering is a problem:
- Overbuilt
In one form or another, over-engineering products are really overbuilt and provide performances which are far in excess of your needs. This is the reason why it is really bulkier, heavier and more expensive than necessary. For instance, a family who uses SEDAN can drive at exactly about 300 kilometer per hour or even a home cassette video recorder with a lifespan of more than a hundred year.
- Overcomplicated
Apart from the fact that over-engineering products are a problem in terms of built quality, they are also considered to be really overcomplicated. The designs are really far more difficult than the necessary ones.
For instance, a modern editor of text asking where to save some files are given a chance to choose from different formats either in EBCDIC, ASCII or in different multi-byte formats. Over complexity of over-engineering products reduces the products’ usability. This may also decrease the productivity level of the products design team due to the huge need of maintaining and building all these features.
- Market Segmentation
Another related problem with over-engineering is more on market segmentation – creating or building different products agile to different market segments. In this kind of context, particular kind of product may be less or more suited to a particular marketing segment and is over-engineered to any applications.
How to Solve It?
The best way of solving over-engineering problems is to assure of forcing the functionality and features of a certain product as necessary. You don’t need to create it less or more than necessary to assure that this can meet the needs or requirements of users.
In short, try to make it in a well-balanced manner basing from the build quality, features and performance. The purpose of which is to assure that it does not over value the necessary things that it supposed to have.
Now, you already have learned more about over-engineering and all its significances that you must not miss out on!
— Slimane Zouggari