Feature Creep

- Hi, I'm William Lidwell,…and this is Universal Principles of Design.…In this movie, Feature Creep,…the feature that breaks the project's back.…On August 10th, 1628, the Swedish warship Vasa…embarked on its maiden voyage.…It was, according to many nautical experts,…one of the most spectacular warships ever built.…Designed to be the flagship of the Swedish navy,…the Vasa carried 64 heavy bronze cannon…and a crew of 300.…

It also came equipped with hundreds of sculptures…and other artwork by some of the finest…wood carvers and craftsmen of their day.…The ship was said to be a magnificent sight,…so magnificent a sight that it cost…more than five percent of Sweden's…gross national product.…The problem was that the ship…was only designed to carry 34 cannon,…half the amount it launched with.…This doubling of cannon required the addition…of a second deck, and the original design…certainly did not account for the sheer…volume and weight of all the lavish ornamentation…it ultimately received.…

The result, the Vasa, on its maiden voyage,…