Mr. Park's class built pencil holders, and here is his list. Two criteria say the holder must keep ten pencils standing up and must not tip when the desk is bumped. One constraint says use only one sheet of cardboard.
Luis's holder
Ten pencils stand up. That criterion is met.
Luis bumps the desk hard. The holder stays up. That criterion is met.
But Luis used two sheets of cardboard. The limit was one sheet, so that constraint is broken.
Erin's holder
Ten pencils stand up. That criterion is met.
Erin bumps the desk hard. The holder tips over. That criterion is not met.
Erin used one sheet of cardboard. That constraint is kept.
| Mr. Park's list | Luis's holder | Erin's holder |
|---|---|---|
| Keep ten pencils standing up (criterion) | met | met |
| Do not tip when the desk is bumped (criterion) | met | not met |
| Use only one sheet of cardboard (constraint) | broken | kept |
Luis's holder met both criteria but broke the constraint. Erin's holder kept the constraint but did not meet one criterion. Neither holder solves the problem yet.
A design solves the problem when every criterion is met and no constraint is broken.
If one criterion is not met or one constraint is broken, the design does not solve the problem.