Going over the basic outline of the class, the expectations of the topics discussed and how assignments will be handled were discussed. From there, we confirmed the creation of the course website and GitHub repository, both of which were subject to evaluation.
Going over the requirements for the Raspberry Pi required for the upcoming assignments allowed for a segue into the Design Process and the state of the market today for an engineer. Engineers have a certain skill set which allows them to integrate into many compound fields, among them the collaboration of STEM with the arts (aka STEAM).
To come up with a big solution, it's first important to have a big problem worth answering. From there, your work can have a clear audience and a guaranteed market once it comes to fruition. This also makes it easier to plan a method to solve the problem, as you have a baseline for certain constraints and the effective expected result. In terms of this website, this is also a project with an intended goal. So by designing the website with this in mind, it should result in a more meaningful website.
For the website, this week saw the first major update, which included the format for the weekly sections and the creation of the navigation system. The goal was to both display the information in an easily accessible method, while also somewhat showing off the possibilities of a google site with some creativity and ingenuity.
Once you have a need worth addressing, you need to formulate problem statements that focus on the particular function of your solution. By limiting options, you can concentrate on something simpler that uses existing options rather than redesigning the whole system. The risk of an incorrect problem statement can lead to a solution that doesn't answer your particular constraints. Systems like Why-Why diagrams get to the root cause of a problem, and can create more meaningful problem statements.
Once you have the right question, it then becomes a matter of finding an adequate method of solving the problem. While it's easy to come up with ideas that can counteract the symptoms, the engineer needs to understand the constraints associated with the problem along with other factors that might affect the viability of a particular answer.
Once given a foundation in how you can choose to solve your problem, it's good to check that your ideas and other intellectual property are not infringing any existing copyright. Companies can have monopoly over particular ideas or products, which can lead to lawsuits and other pitfalls if not careful.
Models are a great way to take either the problem or the solution and either simplify or expand upon the concepts within. Abstraction, or simplification, can isolate the key components of whatever it is you wish to abstract. Modeling can show off your idea in detail, and gives you an external method of picking at the individual components to find weak points that can be addressed.
Sometimes ideas can come from the combination of things that already exist. In the same way, a solution can be broken down into components which can be individually designed and produced. This can ensure the maximum efficiency of the overall product. There are many creative ways of congealing ideas into a sound product, most of them referencing different inspirations from where to source ideas.
Just because an idea is efficient doesn't mean it's safe. Products, if not designed with this intention, can be prone to risk violating modern engineering codes or any other applicable ruleset for a product, like OSHA for infrastructure. As an engineer, certain considerations must be held in account when designing, as to uphold the safety of those who may come into contact with your products.
Preparing for failure does not exclude the possibility entirely. There is always a chance for something to go wrong if enough components of the product fail or become worn down. In the case that a product reaches the point of failure, it then becomes a point of analysis. Failures are meant to be a springboard to find the core errors of a product, and to deal with as many of them as possible before it becomes the consumer's problem.
Once you have designs that have been proofread and seem ready to ship out, you want to root out the best viable solution. In order to find the so-called best viable solution, you would define a list of performance metrics that would determine the success of the product as a whole and rank them. Doing so allows the engineer to identify their priorities and weigh their options in a way that emphasizes which option would be most accommodating to metrics you've deigned important.
Now that the final idea has been selected, it becomes a matter of turning that idea into reality. Whether it be physical or digital, making and testing models to stress test your expectations can help make decisions that lean towards a better, overall product.