How do you determine if a design is reliable?

• A. By relying on initial simulations and best guesses.
• B. By collecting user feedback after the build.
• C. Through repeated testing showing consistent performance under expected conditions.
• D. By maximizing speed without regard to reliability.

Answer: (C)

Reliability means a design can perform its intended function consistently under the conditions it's expected to face. The best way to determine this is through repeated testing that mirrors real use and shows the design maintains performance across many trials. If outcomes stay within specifications across varied loads, temperatures, and usage patterns, you’ve demonstrated dependable behavior and robustness. This approach gives you evidence beyond a single run or guesswork and helps quantify how often failures might occur. User feedback after building can reveal usability issues, but it doesn't prove consistent performance in the field. Pushing for maximum speed without regard to how it handles typical conditions or faults undermines reliability. So, repeated testing under expected conditions is how you establish reliability.