1. Serviceability comes first
Every system should be diagnosable, understandable, and repairable using reasonable tools and documentation. If a fault can’t be traced or explained, the system has failed — regardless of how advanced it is.
2. Reversible by default
Modifications should respect the original engineering and be undoable. Changes are designed to coexist with factory systems, not overwrite or obscure them.
3. Design for the next owner
Assume someone else will need to understand, maintain, or repair the work decades from now. Clear documentation and predictable system behaviour matter more than cleverness.
4. Restraint over features
Complexity must earn its place. Additional electronics or software are justified only when they provide meaningful capability, reliability, or insight — not novelty.
5. Systems thinking, not components
Electronic changes affect mechanical systems, human use, and long-term maintenance. Decisions are evaluated at the system level, not in isolation.
6. Transparency over abstraction
Favour designs that make behaviour visible and debuggable over opaque, tightly coupled solutions. Abstraction should clarify systems, not hide them.
7. Longevity over optimisation
Design for stable operation, tolerance of ageing components, and future adaptability rather than peak performance or short-term efficiency.