Misdesigning

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. The process of formulating designs incorrectly or with flaws
2. An occurrence where design plans are executed inaccurately or result in defects
3. The act of producing plans or layouts that are flawed or improperly constructed

Etymology: "Misdesigning" is the present participle and gerund of "misdesign", which is formed from the prefix "mis-", meaning wrongly or badly, attached to "design". The verb's sense is therefore plain and transparent: to design wrongly, so that the planned thing goes astray. The base word "design" is the older and more interesting piece. It comes from the Italian "disegno", meaning drawing or plan, and that Italian word traces back to Latin "designare", to mark out or designate. The original sense was a concrete act of marking or sketching something, and the notion of a plan or intention came later. "Mis-" is one of English's productive prefixes and has been used this way for centuries, so "misdesign" follows a familiar pattern rather than a unique coinage.