What NOT TO design

This is an excerpt from TOI of 10-June.
"Back in 1960's, American space agency NASA was faced with a major dilemma. Astronauts needed a pen that would write in the vacuum of space. NASA got cracking into developing the $1.5 million gravity immune 'astronaut pen'.
At the same time, the Russians too were faced with the same dilemma. However, they used a pencil instead!"

How very relevant. It is important that we designers do not lose track of the solution and go only after technology for technology's sake. We should use technology for Solution's sake.