The capacity of civilisations to develop or even survive depends, far more than is commonly realised, on their ability to design, make and use machines. Design in a general sense is inherent in many human activities, and in a more particular sense it lies at the centre of engineering. Its success depends on many varied qualities in the designer, and also upon the application of principles and rules that are as exacting in their way as those of mathemaltics. An outline of these requirements is given and illustrated by examples chosen from several fields and periods, including computer-aided methods.
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