Engineering design mistake

October 9, 2012 10:32 AM

I can't find a Wikipedia page I saw a while back. It was about a sort of design error or cognitive bias whereby designers or engineers reject as irrelevant (or are unaware of) a relevant factor in the requirements of a design because it is outside of their field. It gave an example which was about designing and providing water supplies in Africa. There were known ways to prevent a certain disease in the water, but the engineers were not familiar with them, so the disease spread.
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 to Science & Nature (3 answers total)

Best answer: Relevance paradox?
posted by Logophiliac at 10:39 AM on October 9, 2012 [2 favorites]

Response by poster: 7 minutes, not bad! :D

Thanks.
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 10:51 AM on October 9, 2012

No worries.
posted by Logophiliac at 11:07 AM on October 9, 2012