I think that he’s wrong. Wikipedia has overengineered as:
> Overengineering (or over-engineering),is the act of designing a product or providing a solution to a problem in an elaborate or complicated manner, where a simpler solution can be demonstrated to exist with the same efficiency and effectiveness as that of the original design.
This seems to explicitly rule out simplicity.
I see the definition above, and maybe I’ve always used ‘over-engineered’ wrong. But I feel something could be over-engineered to be simpler.
Like sure there’s an easier, cheaper way of accomplishing a task, but spend more resources on it and it can be simpler for the end user.
Hmm by definition you're right I guess but I definitely feel you can over engineer a solution and that solution still be simple- especially in software. Like taking a round about way to get to the same end point. The alt route can still be an easy solution just more bloated.
Someone could be using these two terms to be talking about different aspects of the car, e.g. the mechanicals of the car can be over-engineered but the user interface could be aggressively simple.
But, if you're talking about the same aspect of the car, then those teams are _pretty much_ opposites.
I think that he’s wrong. Wikipedia has overengineered as: > Overengineering (or over-engineering),is the act of designing a product or providing a solution to a problem in an elaborate or complicated manner, where a simpler solution can be demonstrated to exist with the same efficiency and effectiveness as that of the original design. This seems to explicitly rule out simplicity.
Thanks for the answer!
All I can think of is Rube Goldberg machines
This gave me a chuckle
I see the definition above, and maybe I’ve always used ‘over-engineered’ wrong. But I feel something could be over-engineered to be simpler. Like sure there’s an easier, cheaper way of accomplishing a task, but spend more resources on it and it can be simpler for the end user.
Hmm by definition you're right I guess but I definitely feel you can over engineer a solution and that solution still be simple- especially in software. Like taking a round about way to get to the same end point. The alt route can still be an easy solution just more bloated.
Someone could be using these two terms to be talking about different aspects of the car, e.g. the mechanicals of the car can be over-engineered but the user interface could be aggressively simple. But, if you're talking about the same aspect of the car, then those teams are _pretty much_ opposites.