Yes, it is a usage error, if by that you mean poor word choice. A better word choice might have been developed or designed.
But the article is laced with poor word choices, including "crafted" in the first paragraph, "extravagant systems and gadgets" (especially in juxtaposition with "unconscionable"), "fizzled," "job," "tainting," "fancy phones," and the repetitive use of "this newspaper."
Katy Murphy and the contributing writer have put together an article froth with poor writing.
One thing you can build is the future, includingwhich includes the next generation, so that may have influenced the writer's choice of words, given the project name.