‘The whole is greater than the sum of its parts’ implies an object of consequence can be built from a motley assembly of components. Whilst each part has meaning on its own, the principle of system design is that the ‘bits and pieces’ will work together in unison.
Whilst integrating the latest ‘bells and whistles’ into their next product, designers must meet all system design requirements, such as performance, size, integration and, obviously, cost. The larger and more complex the system, the harder it is to see the separate entities. The designer needs a taller ladder – or a bigger magnifying glass!
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