Design Intelligence

There's an interesting little tidbit over at the Discovery Institute's Evolution News.

Evolution News & Views: Engineers Improve Human Technology by Turning to Biology
Intelligent design does not necessarily mean optimal design. Yet the realm of human technology is a realm of intelligently designed objects, many of which strive to optimize energetic efficiency. It is therefore intriguing that designers of human technology would find solutions to technological needs from the biosphere—a realm which neo-Darwinian scientists tell us is the result of blind, random processes.

So, if "intelligent design" does not mean "optimal design", what does that tell you about the intelligence of the designer? Why waste your time and resources if you're not going to pursue the optimal design when you could be watching reruns of Family Guy instead?

Only two reasons come to mind:
1) This is all just a proof of concept in order to get funding for the final design, or
2) The designer just isn't that intelligent.