Trade-off: a choice, not a fault

The standard

The disclosed trade-off names both goals and says which one yields to the other. Without it a decision looks like pure gain, though it carries a price.

Criteria

• Both goals are desirable, not a goal against a fault
• The gain in one is the sacrifice in the other
• The trade-off is named, not concealed
• It is judged by the result, not the intent

Distinction

Trade-off ≠ fault: a fault is avoidable, a trade-off remains whichever way you decide. The disclosed trade-off makes the price of a decision visible instead of hiding it.