In this episode, Adrian is joined by Renaud Anjoran to explore fail-safe design principles: essential thinking for anyone developing most kinds of products.
Through real-world examples ranging from Tesla doors to Boeing and consumer electronics, they highlight how designers must ask: “If this fails, what happens to the user?”
They break down why it matters, what trade-offs exist, and how structured risk analysis, simplification, redundancy, and error-proofing can dramatically reduce hazards and costly failures.
Episode Sections:
- 00:00:03 – Introduction
- 00:01:00 – Tesla door handle fail-safe issue
- 00:02:32 – Building lock systems vs. car safety
- 00:05:55 – Structured thinking in fail-safe design
- 00:07:21 – Designing with users in mind
- 00:09:02 – Risk analysis methods: FMEA & fault tree analysis
- 00:11:10 – Catastrophic failures & extreme examples
- 00:12:18 – Everyday product applications
- 00:14:21 – Principle: Simplification in design
- 00:16:13 – Redundancy in critical systems
- 00:20:30 – Battery management & safety logic
- 00:20:34 – Human error and mistake-proofing
- 00:23:09 – Error-proofing examples: tables & plugs
- 00:23:41 – Trade-offs and cost considerations
- 00:26:03 – Testing, regulations & standards (UL, ETL, etc.)
- 00:27:11 – Summary & wrap-up
- 00:28:07 – Final thoughts & listener takeaway
- 00:28:19 – Outro
Are you designing a new product? Ask yourself: “If this fails, what happens?”
Visit Sofeast.com to learn how our quality, reliability, and product development teams can support you in building safer, more reliable products.
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