Engineering practices

Engineering-Design Process

The engineering-design process can be used to solve a wide range of problems. The diagram below shows one version of the process. In this version, there are six steps, each shown in a different circle. Often an individual or a team will move clockwise through the steps in the diagram, beginning with the step at the top (Identify the problem).

The diagram also has lines that connect each step to every other step in the process. These lines represent the many possible alternate paths. An individual or a team may repeat or even skip steps, depending on the problem being solved. Every engineering-design challenge is unique, and so is the path to finding a solution.

Identify the problem

An important step in any engineering-design challenge is to identify the problem, or issue that needs to be solved.

Identify constraints and criteria

Any engineering-design challenge includes constraints and criteria. Constraints are the factors that limit the possible solutions. Criteria are the measurable requirements that a successful solution must meet. Many problems have constraints and criteria related to budget, materials, time, and other factors.

Brainstorm

There are times during an engineering-design challenge when an individual or a team may need to brainstorm. Brainstorming involves discussing ideas or proposing solutions, sometimes after conducting research on the problem.

Build a prototype

Once an individual or a team chooses a promising idea to pursue, they might try out a prototype. A prototype is a model or sample of a solution to the problem.

Perform tests and evaluate results

Engineering-design challenges often require testing. Testing is trying out a potential solution or idea and collecting data to see how well it works.

Next, the results of the tests are evaluated. Evaluating is using information from the tests to determine if a solution has met the criteria. Information from tests may also show why a solution did or did not meet the criteria.

Optimize to improve a design

An individual or a team might decide to improve a solution or design. This is called optimizing. Optimizing often involves more rounds of brainstorming, prototyping, and testing. Some problems require many rounds of optimizing before a successful solution is found.

Engineering Design Solutions

People can use the engineering-design process to develop solutions to problems. One step in the process is testing if a potential solution meets the requirements of the design. How can you determine what a test can show? You need to figure out what was tested and what was measured.

Imagine an engineer needs to design a bridge for a windy location. She wants to make sure the bridge will not move too much in high wind. So, she builds a smaller prototype, or model, of a bridge. Then, she exposes the prototype to high winds and measures how much the bridge moves.

First, identify what was tested. A test can examine one design, or it may compare multiple prototypes to each other. In the test described above, the engineer tested a prototype of a bridge in high wind.

Then, identify what the test measured. One of the criteria for the bridge was that it not move too much in high winds. The test measured how much the prototype bridge moved.

Tests can show how well one or more designs meet the criteria. The test described above can show whether the bridge would move too much in high winds.