Can Measurement Misdirect System Design?

Measurement may seem a rudimentary concept: temperature can be measured in degrees using a thermometer; length can be measured in distance using a ruler. Measurement for system design is more complex, given that measures are implicitly intended to assess the “goodness” of a design. This research proposes that measures in systems design can direct a design away from its goals through measurement challenges. Three types of measurement challenges are considered: challenges from the measures themselves, challenges from weighting the measures, and challenges from the use of the measures. This research illustrates measurement challenges for system design mathematically, graphically, and through real-world case study examples. The goal of this research is to demonstrate through multiple forms of evidence that measurement can misdirect system design. Establishing that measures in system design can influence a design away from its goals enables future research to investigate why these measurement challenges occur and how to prevent them.