Engineer’s Notebook The engineer’s notebook is a record of design ideas and details of each step of the process. It should combine a narrative of the progress, concept sketches, engineering calculations, pictures of prototypes, test procedures, and more. The most important things to record are the decisions made, and the reasoning behind these decisions.

Engineer’s Notebook An engineer’s notebook should serve as a roadmap such that any outsider can follow the designer’s process, understand the choices made by the designer, and end up with the same result. If an engineer gets transferred to a different team in the middle of a project, someone else should be able to read his or her engineering notebook and pick up right where they left off.

Engineering Design Process The engineering design process is a systematic problem-solving method for generating and developing ideas and solutions. Not always a linear process. No formal standard process, however the design process is a guiding principal in engineering and is always clearly documented.

Design Process Start out by identifying the need for your project. Instead of asking "what do we want to design?“, ask "why do we want to design that?" and "what problem and or need will our design ultimately be solving?“ Identify the target population, which is the group of people who will benefit from your project. Identify the project's requirements and constraints. Generate ideas. Select a possible solution, design, etc. Create prototype, model, etc. Reassess, modify, change.

Types of Design Requirement for Products A cost target is almost always a design requirement Cost to purchase Cost to use Cost to repair Aesthetics (how it looks) Style (art deco, Victorian, modern, medieval) Color Fit and finish (Is it built with care and attention to detail?) Geometry Size, overall dimensions Curvature Capacity (how many and how big are the things it can work with) Inputs Energy consumption Fuel consumption Labor Outputs Product produced Power Pollution Undesirable side effects

Physical characteristics Weight Density Melting, boiling point Color Transparency Reflectance Surface texture (polished, rough) Elasticity Hardness Ductility (ability to be drawn into a wire) Magnetic properties Electrical properties (resistance, impedance, etc.) Impact resistance Bending strength Viscosity (the thickness and stickiness of a fluid) Performance characteristics Accuracy Strength Reproducibility, repeatability (Does it always do the same thing given the same input?) Speed Acceleration Deceleration, braking Rolling resistance Friction Adhesion Absorbency Permeability (Do things leak through it?) Resolution Flammability (ability to set on fire) Insulation value

Manufacturing considerations Difficulty of making Equipment or manufacturing techniques required to build the invention (You don't want to build something from metal if all you have is a woodworking shop.) Number of component parts Labor requirements Means of shipping or delivery Environmental requirements Operating temperature range Storage temperature range Water resistance Resistance to corrosion Compatibility with ___________ Ability to withstand radiation (called radiation hardness) How does it hold up? Service requirements Ease of repair Reliability Lifespan Disposability User requirements Ease of use Ease of learning Operator training