Review 1: The Design Process Name:_______________

Unit 1 Design Process - OverviewUnit 1 Design Process - OverviewPreface

Each time that you solve a problem, a design process is used. Some processes are as simple as realizing that you are hungry for something new and then designing a

new combination of foods. Process can be as complex as designing a clean water solution for a village in an emerging nation. The design process (i.e., method to solve

a problem or create a new product) is a cornerstone of all engineering professions.

This lesson provides a foundation for engineering knowledge and professional practices that will be used through this and other pathway to engineering courses and

throughout a student’s career. Students will develop skills such as concept sketching, setting up, and maintaining an engineering notebook and portfolio.

Engineering is a professional practice that has evolved through centuries of experience. Learning concepts and practicing skills in this course will provide a foundation

for a lifelong engineering career.

Understandings

Students will understand that …

· U1 – An engineering design process involves a characteristic set of practices and steps used to develop innovative solutions to problems.

· U2 – Brainstorming may take many forms and is used to generate a large number of innovative, creative ideas in a short time.

· U3 – Technical professionals clearly and accurately document and report their work using technical writing practice in multiple forms.

· U4 – Sketches, drawings, and images are used to record and convey specific types of information depending upon the audience and the purpose of the communication.

· U5 – Engineering consists of a variety of specialist sub-fields, with each contributing in different ways to the design and development of solutions to different types of problems.

Knowledge and Skills

KNOWLEDGE: Students will …

· K1 –Identify the steps in an engineering design process and describe the activities involved in each step of the process. U1

· K2 – Explain the concept of proportion and how it relates to freehand sketching.

· K3 – Identify and describe a variety of brainstorming techniques and rules for brainstorming.

· K4 – Differentiate between invention and innovation.

· K5 – Identify and differentiate between the work of an engineer and the work of a scientist.

· K6 – Identify and differentiate between mechanical, electrical, civil, and chemical engineering fields.

SKILLS: Students will …

· S1 – Generate and document multiple ideas or solution paths to a problem through brainstorming

· S2 – Describe the design process used in the solution of a particular problem andreflect on all steps of the design process.

· S3 – Utilize an engineering notebook to clearly and accurately document the design process according to accepted standards and protocols to prove the origin and chronology of a design.

· S4 – Create sketches or diagrams as representations of objects, ideas, events, or systems.

· S5 – Explain the contributions of engineers from different engineering fields in the design and development of a product, system, or technology.

· S6 – Review and evaluate the written work of peers and make recommendations for improvement.

Essential Questions

· EQ1 -- When solving an engineering problem, how can we be reasonably sure that we have created the BEST solution possible? What is the evidence?

· EQ2 – What is the most effective way to generate potential solutions to a problem? How many alternate solutions are necessary to ensure a good final solution?

· EQ3 – What engineering accomplishment of the 20th century has had the greatest impact on society? Justify your answer.

· EQ4 – What will be the biggest impact that engineering will have on society and your life in the 21st century? Justify your answer.

· EQ5 – Engineering tends to be a male-dominated profession. Why is that?

Unit 1 Design Process - Key TermsUnit 1 Design Process - Key TermsTerm Definition

Assess To thoroughly and methodically analyze accomplishment against specific goals and criteria.

Assessment

 

An evaluation technique for technology that requires analyzing benefits and risks, understanding the trade-offs,

and then determining the best action to take in order to ensure that the desired positive outcomes outweigh the

negative consequences.

Techniques used to analyze accomplishments against specific goals and criteria.  Examples of assessments include

tests, surveys, observations, and self-assessment.

Brainstorm

 

A group technique for solving problems, generating ideas, stimulating creative thinking, etc. by unrestrained

spontaneous participation in discussion.

Client

 

A person using the services of a professional person or organization.

Creativity The ability to make or bring a new concept or idea into existence; marked by the ability or power to create.

Criteria A means of judging. A standard, rule, or test by which something can be judged.

Constraint

 

1. A limit to a design process. Constraints may be such things as appearance, funding, space, materials, and

human capabilities. 2. A limitation or restriction.

Design

 

1. An iterative decision-making process that produces plans by which resources are converted into products or

systems that meet human needs and wants or solve problems. 2. A plan or drawing produced to show the look and

function or workings of something before it is built or made. 3. A decorative pattern.

Design Brief

 

A written plan that identifies a problem to be solved, its criteria, and its constraints. The design brief is used to

encourage thinking of all aspects of a problem before attempting a solution.

Design Process

 

A systematic problem-solving strategy, with criteria and constraints, used to develop many possible solutions to

solve a problem or satisfy human needs and wants and to winnow (narrow) down the possible solutions to one

final choice.

Design Statement A part of a design brief that challenges the designer, describes what a design solution should do without

describing how to solve the problem, and identifies the degree to which the solution must be executed.

Designer

 

A person who designs any of a variety of things. This usually implies the task of creating drawings or in some

ways uses visual cues to organize his or her work.

Engineer

 

A person who is trained in and uses technological and scientific knowledge to solve practical problems.

Engineering Notebook

 

A book in which an engineer will formally document, in chronological order, all of his/her work that is associated

with a specific design project.

Innovation

 

An improvement of an existing technological product, system, or method of doing something.

Invention

 

A new product, system, or process that has never existed before, created by study and experimentation.

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

Justifiable Capable of being shown as reasonable or merited according to accepted standards.

Piling-on An idea that produces a similar idea or an enhanced idea.

Problem Identification The recognition of an unwelcome or harmful matter needing to be dealt with.

Product

 

A tangible artifact produced by means of either human or mechanical work, or by biological or chemical process.

Prototype A full-scale working model used to test a design concept by making actual observations and necessary

adjustments.

Research

 

The systematic study of materials and sources in order to establish facts and reach new conclusions.

Valid Well-founded on evidence and corresponds accurately to the real world.

1. Identify a Problem· Identify a problem that exists.· Determine the root cause.

· Gather information. 2. Brainstorm/ Research and Generate Ideas/ Identify Criteria and Specify Constraints /· Analyze the reasons for the need, want, or problem.· Investigate who or what it is that is affected, and consider the need, want, or problem from their perspective.· Research any existing solutions, and identify why they are not adequate or appropriate.· Listen to clients to solve problems that they have discovered.· Perform market research to determine if a want or need exists and warrants the development of a design solution. Identify the end user if the client is not. Redefine the problem to the agreement of both client and engineer. Identify what the solution must do, and the degree to which it will be pursued. Identify the limitations within which the engineer must perform his/her duties. Compile the information into a design brief.

3. Select an Approach/ Develop a Design Proposal Create a decision-matrix to compare the attributes of the various ideas and analyze the trade-offs associated with each one. Verify alignment between the idea selected and the criteria and constraints · Develop detailed and annotated sketches.· Determine the type(s) of material from which the solution will be constructed.· Make computer models.

· Create technical drawings from the computer model(s).  4. Make a Model or Prototype

· Make study models (scaled models or mock-ups).· Fabricate a functional prototype.

5. Test and Evaluate the Design using Specifications/ Refine the Design· Test the prototype under controlled conditions.· Test the prototype under actual conditions.· Record the results.· Evaluate results to determine if problems exist and further work is needed.· Reassess the validity of the design criteria and make adjustments to the design brief, if necessary.· Work through the design process until the solution satisfies the design criteria. · Update the documentation of the final solution.

6. Communicate Processes and Results· Present oral presentations with visual aids (computer generated slide show, models, prototype).· Develop written reports with appropriate graphic documentation (charts, graphs, technical drawings,

renderings, etc.).· Market the Product.· Distribute.

Know the parts of a design Brief and why we use a design brief.

The word “design” is often used as a generic term that refers to anything that was made by a conscious human effort.Design is also a process that is used to systematically solve problems.

Although we have presented a design process in a somewhat linear fashion, the path from identifying a problem to presenting a solution is rarely straightforward. Designers must evaluate, reflect, redefine, and redesign throughout the process. It is common to repeat steps of the design process several times before an optimal solution is found. It is non-linear and an iterative process.

Engineering is the application of mathematics and scientific principles to better or improve life.• The BIG FOUR fields of engineering include:

– Chemical– Civil– Electrical– Mechanical

• Most other disciplines are a derivative, combination or extension of one of these

Invention vs. Innovation : Know the difference.