Engineering Design

My Current Understanding

An engineer is someone who uses knowledge, and creativity to solve problems, create something new, fix or optimize something, etc. this can apply to the physical world around us, or to less tangible things, like a system of people/tasks, a government, etc. 

usually, engineers apply the natural sciences to problems related to building things like bridges, rockets, robots, etc. knowledge of the underlying principals that govern the universe around us is what makes amazing feats of engineering possible. 

Teamwork is also an important part of the engineering process. Engineers and scientists usually work together to achieve things like space travel, building telescopes-- both on the surface, and in space-- creating prostheses and other medical technology that save lives, build the infrastructure that we use and rely on everyday, and much more. 

Engineering design is the utilization of one's knowledge to design something, whether that's knowledge of the natural sciences and mathematics to create new technology, or knowledge of the social sciences and government to design more beneficial policies. 

A design process gives an easy to follow way to approach, and engage in engineering design. It offers a structure to the process that facilitates the creative application of knowledge, and an easy way to follow the thought processes that lead to the creation of a design. A design process also facilitates trouble shooting when something goes wrong in the process of building, and testing something. 

Communication is a vital part of engineering and science due to the collaborative nature of the field, and the need to share with either the public, a client, or other possible collaborators and employers the work one has done relating to a project. Good communication skills are necessary in order to be able to covey clearly what a project is, it's progress, and why it's important-- which is needed when applying for grants, or other forms of funding for projects. 

An engineer must be able to convey the complex information that is often a part of a project clearly, concisely, and simply-- making sure to include the important details with out bogging down the explanation with information that might confuse a listener. An engineer must also listen carefully to those they are communicating with, and be able to address concerns the listener might have about a project. 

Teamwork is important in engineering because the interaction with other people and the consideration of their ideas in the design of a project facilitate the creation of a better final product. Integration of differing techniques, and types of expertise within an engineering project can help with creating novel ways to solve problems, and helps to finish a project more quickly than if an engineer was forced to work alone in a project. It also helps in catching possible problems in an engineering project before they happen. 

In my opinion, a good team member is some one who is willing to compromise while also standing up for what they believe is right. being a good team member is also dependent on one's willingness to help other team members when possible. making sure to keep up with deadlines, and finish their share of work in a project is also an integral part of being a good team member. really it all comes down to being okay with compromise and working with others to achieve a common goal. 

Professionalism is an adjective describing mannerisms that show that one has respect for the work that they, and those around and with them do.