Unit 1: Engineering Design Process

Objectives of Unit 1:

· The engineering design process - understanding and applying each step of the process in solving a challenge.

· Understand and contrast the difference between the work of an engineer and the work of a scientist.

The Design Process

1. Identify the problem

· the first stage of the design process

· the statement that recognizes a bad situation, an unwelcome or harmful matter, which is needing a solution

2. Generate Concepts- phase of the design process includes brainstorming and research for ideas

a. Research

b. Brainstorming

· Unrestrained, spontaneous (NO analysis, no judgement, nor systematic process)

· It may take many forms and is used to generate a large number of ideas

· Don’t hold back and record everything that comes to mind

· Piling-on - an occurrence, during a group brainstorming session, when a new idea, or an enhanced idea, is inspired by, or springs from, a previous idea

3. Develop a Solution

· To edit and develop a solution, you need a point in the process in which someone steps up, stops the ideas, and redirects the group to break up into teams.

4. Construct and Test Prototype

5. Evaluation - stage in the Design Process to determine if you change your solution

6. Present Solution –(which often involves going back to the beginning, checking the identified objectives, adjusting to be sure the objectives can’t be better achieved through innovation….)

Terminology:

Iterative - a process that repeats a series of steps over and over until the desired outcome is obtained

Teamwork - the ideas & efforts of a team will always be more successful than of a lone genius.

A Design Brief is A statement of the problem, target market, client, and constraints

Design Statement - describes what a design solution should do and identifies the degree to which the solution must be executed. It’s defined by the design team to clarify their objectives/ goals

The Engineering notebook, as kept by a professional engineer is comprised of Quadrille-ruled pages, bound in a text

The Engineering notebook

Purpose of an engineering notebook -

To clearly and accurately document and report work in progress

Know best practices for an Engineering Notebook:

· Table of Contents

· Entries must be in chronological order

· Work only in pen

· Don’t leave any blank spaces between daily entries - Draw a slash through page

· Inserted pictures must be taped securely and flat (no paper-clips or staples)