The Engineering Design Process

Professionals, Engineers, Scientists often use processes to do their job

Engineers Engineering Design Process

Scientists Scientific Method

Doctors Inductive Reasoning from a Checklist of symptoms (Clinical Reasoning Process)

Lawyers Complaint or Charge, Arraignment, Deposition, Trial, Sentencing

Processes are guidelines that:

Help professionals manage complex tasks

Help professionals “ask the right questions”

Stay focused on the important details

Help in honing skills

Can and should be modified as practitioner acquires more skill.

Prevent “railroading” or jumping to conclusions

Engineering Design Process

1 Problem Identification

2 Define Goals – Set Criteria

3 Data Collection – What will you need to solve this problem (materials, science, skill-sets)

4 Brainstorming – Idea Generation

5 Analyze Potential Solutions and rate them based on how well they satisfy #1

6 Build and Test Model(s)

7 Using rubric make a decision (build or repeat process)

8 Communicate and Specify for selling idea and going to production

1. Identify Problem

Clearly state the problem your team wants to solve.

“Ruth from Duluth, MN isn’t buying Nokia cell phones.”

2. Define Goals

Must sell for <$100

Must have a traditional keypad with both numbers and letters.

Must be a flip phone so it is easy to hang-up.

Must be large enough to handle and not slip out of her hands.

Must come with Photo-App for Grandkids

Must interface with PC so Ruth can easily add contacts.

Must have color options

Must work with most carriers (AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, Sprint)

Must by recyclable

3. Research and Gather Data

What is out there that Ruth might consider and why?

What technology is Ruth comfortable with now?

What is Ruth’s shopping trail?

Will need basic phone hardware but a new user interface

Will need to find a longer lasting battery

Need to find an ergonomic design for Ruth’s grip and need to contact Product Design firm

Need to find manufacturing line

Must put together software team

4. Brainstorming

Gather ideas – the wilder the better.

Think outside the box – best new ideas are at the “fringe”

Never judge or criticize any ideas – wacky ideas lead to other good ideas

Do not rush this step! Phone should look like a poodle

Phone should be really big so Ruth can find it in her big purse/big cadillac

Make a cool grip that will semi-customize the phone and protect the phone when Ruth drops it.

Have only one application (photos)

Phone should fit on shelves next to gum and candy since Ruth spends a lot of time there.

Phone should be a lease not a sale option so Ruth can feel safe that she is being taken care of.

Phone should play old-time music?

Big volume button

5. Analyze most promising ideas

Consider Cost – Benefit ratio of ideas

Allow the group to get clarification

Develop rubric based on goals and criteria of #2

Have team members vote

Ask potential customers to evaluate

Eliminate duplicate ideas

6. Build and Test prototype

Does the real thing work?

Does it solve the problem and satisfy the criteria?

7. Evaluate the prototype

Is this worth the effort to make?

Does customer really want something else or some specific changes?

Can this prototype be manufactured in large volumes?

Can this prototype be marketed?

8. If “yes” then specify product and communicate design