Misdesign

Part of speech: verb, noun

Definitions

1. A flawed or poorly conceived plan for building or arranging something ; to plan or shape an object or system incorrectly so that it fails its purpose
2. An error in the planning of a structure or product that makes it unsuitable ; to create a plan for something in a faulty way that undermines its function
3. A badly conceived layout or plan that leads to failure ; to draft or shape a product or system with mistakes that prevent it from working properly

Etymology: The word is a plain compound: the prefix "mis-", meaning wrongly or badly, attached to "design". "Mis-" has been used in English since Old English, where it came from a Germanic root, and it attaches freely to verbs and nouns to mean "in the wrong way" or "amiss". So "misdesign" literally means to design badly or wrongly, and it is built the same way as "misjudge" or "mislead". Because the parts are so transparent, the word needs little further explanation. Its meaning follows directly from the two halves, with no shift or surprise along the way.