Starfleet ships don't have some horrendous "design flaw"

Sometimes, we're just sort of left wondering "What?" A new interview from Fandom Wire claims that Star Trek's bridge placement was "a design flaw" that was "horrendous". Essentially, the writer of the article claimed that Gene Roddenberry's desire to keep the bridge where it is, front and center essentially, was a dangerous design flaw that left the crew vulnerable.

The article even goes on to claim the ships would be "sitting ducks".

Yet, I'm left scratching my head at the criticism. Firstly, Starfleet ships are based on naval ships and subs of the era. Even to this day, the placement of the control room (helm) is always somewhere forward-facing. On ships, it's closer to the front of the ship, with a clear view of the water, while on most subs, you're looking at a placement in the forward three-quarters of the vessel.

So it makes sense that we'd design our spacecraft the same way. Especially when most Starfleet ships have the ability to open up their ships for a view of space. Most Starfleet ships have the ability to see into space without the need for a view screen.

So, it's practical. Yet, you could argue that in the future, with our advanced devices today, such things aren't necessary. You don't need to see where you're going. Yet, even in space, you need to have an idea of where you're going in case instruments fail. Just look at Apollo 13 for starters.

Yet, lastly and most importantly, the concept of a ship going through space only works if you realize that you need to have a properly intact haul to make it work. That thing has to be pressurized and pumped full of oxygen so that it doesn't get crushed. A small enough rupture could cause the whole thing to crumble like a pop can.

So if you're in a space battle and a photon torpedo rips through your haul; you're going to be crushed into nothingness. At that point, does it matter if the bridge is in the center of the ship or not? You're wrecked either way.

Now, you could argue "But that's why you have shields!" Exactly. Shields make it irrelevant to bury the bridge deep within the vessel because if a torpedo rips through the bridge, you're all dead anyway. So it makes total sense to just find the most practical spot for the bridge to be in (where it is) than it is to try and be cute with your placement of it.