[USFRIENDINVICTORIA]

Most design is a matter of satisficing, rather than optimizing. You stop when the design is good enough. Of course, sometimes “good enough” and “best possible” are about the same (e.g. for space craft).

[jonascord]

In the Good Ol' Days at NASA, cost never entered into the equation.

I remember a cable tray for the Shuttle that was hogged out of a 50 lb block of aluminum, down to about 4 lb, to avoid welds...