Engineering is not about being superficially creative; it's about reliability and trustworthiness. What good is the highest tower in the world if it toppled over killing thousands and destroying far more in property from a slight breeze? The following is a mantra that should be rigorously enforced and demanded of all: The solution used must suit the purpose of the work being done. For example: certain scientific calculations do not require an exact answer, instead a set of approximations that on average are within the margins and fast is better than a slow solution that always gives an exact answer. For numerical analysis that require an exact answer to hundreds of digits, simplicity and exactness is more important than speed. So start with a simple solution for a small problem and craft it in the direction of the purpose of the work being done.
