DESIGN AND PROBLEM SOLVING
…that leads to useful products DESIGN IS A CREATIVE PROCESS! …that leads to useful products
An INVENTION which is something Designs Can Be.... An INVENTION which is something that is totally NEW! An INNOVATION which is an improvement on something that already exists!
It’s great…spacious, reliable and comfortable The Perfect Design? It’s great…spacious, reliable and comfortable
The Perfect Design? Tradeoffs make the Perfect Design IMPOSSIBLE! Yuk! Too slow, no style Tradeoffs make the Perfect Design IMPOSSIBLE!
Engineers solve problems in two different ways Design Inventing or Innovating a product to solve a given problem Troubleshooting Figuring out what’s broken and fixing it.
What problems did these inventions solve? Engineers DESIGN solutions to problems What problems did these inventions solve?
D E A L To be most successful in design and problem solving, use a system to help organize your approach to the problem! The DEAL is a model for both problem solving and design. D E A L So remember… If you have a problem, Learn to DEAL with it!
The first step is to define your problem. Criteria are the rules you must play by. -Like when you build a TSA Dragster, your criteria for a winner is the fastest car. They focus on desired elements and features. Constraints are similar and focus on limits and what you can’t do! -For example, your TSA Dragster cannot weigh less than a certain amount. Together they help you DEFINE YOUR PROBLEM!
Rules for Good Brainstorming The natural tendency is to jump on the first solution that comes to mind- BUT the most effective way to come up with good ideas is to EXPLORE! BRAINSTORMING- when 2 or more people get together to think of Ideas! Rules for Good Brainstorming Involve all people, not just the most vocal. Use a set rotation for people. Don’t be judgmental. Try not to say how great or poor an idea is. Set it up so people can pass if they don’t have an idea at the time. Rotate several times, then open the floor.
Building a model or a prototype is a good way to find problems without taking the time to build a final product. Testing and Experimenting with the model, such as using a wind tunnel on your dragster, can identify ways to improve your design. Manufacturing /Constructing your final product should come after you have evaluated your design for potential problems.
Even with modeling, testing, and a good design effort, something can go wrong. Sometimes, the problems take time to show up. Performance monitoring checks to see that the product is doing what it’s supposed to over the life of the product. For example, millions of devices had to be recalled due to a flaw in Samsung’s Galaxy Note phones.
This is called an iterative process; which means that it is a cycle.
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