1. The Engineering Design Process

2. What is the Engineering Design Process?
The Engineering Design Process (EDP) is a systematic method for solving technological problems
Different from the Scientific Method (a systematic method for answering questions)
Consists of six steps:
Identify and state the problem
List criteria and constraints
Brainstorm solutions
Select the best solution
Develop/construct the solution
Test and refine the solution

3. Step 1: Identify the Problem
What is a technological problem?
A problem is an individual or societal need
Technology is the purposeful modification of the environment to solve a problem
A technological problem is a problem that may be solved through the development or improvement of technology
The first step in the EDP is to identify the technological problem
Write a problem statement for the current design challenge:
A one or two sentence statement that answers the following:
What is the problem?
What will solving it accomplish

4. Step 2: Criteria and Constraints
What are criteria?
Criteria = a set of standards that determines whether a solution is successful or not
Usually a list of things the solution must accomplish
Examples:
The solution must be able to carry a payload of 1 kg while airborne for 15 feet
The solution must be able to turn on a pump when the water level drops below 6 inches
What is a constraint?
Constraint = limitations on the solution
The solution must cost no more than $500 to produce
The solution must not exceed 18 inches in length, width, or height
Write a list of criteria and a list of constraints for this design challenge
Many criteria and constraints are given in the Rubric
See if you can identify any others that aren’t listed in the Rubric

5. Step 3: Brainstorming What is brainstorming?
Brainstorming = writing down a list of possible solutions as quickly as possible
The goal is to list many general ideas
Don’t worry about details at this stage
Don’t worry about whether each solution is ultimately workable
More ideas increases your chances of success
Brainstorm a list of possible solutions
You should list a minimum of 5 different ideas
The more ideas, the better!

6. Step 4: Selecting a Solution
How do you select a solution?
List the positive and negative points of each idea from your brainstorming list
Consider the criteria and constraints you listed
Eliminate ideas that don’t meet the criteria or constraints
Eliminate solutions that have few positive points or many negative points
Choose the solution that you think will be easiest to accomplish while meeting all criteria and constraints
Select your solution
Choose a solution from your list of brainstormed ideas
It is okay to add new ideas to your brainstorming list at any point

7. Step 5: Develop/Construct Solution
What steps should you follow to construct a solution?
Develop a plan
Sketch what the solution will look like – include measurements and detailed views
Decide who will do what
List needed materials and tools
Gather needed materials and tools
Construct the solution
Include a log of your daily activities in your Design Notebook
When you have to make changes, record them in your Design Notebook
Construct your solution!
Be sure to document everything in your design notebook!

8. Step 6: Test and Refine the Solution
Test the solution to see if it works as expected
Test different components of the solution individually
Test the whole solution
Determine what works and what doesn’t
Make a list of things to fix or improve
Refine the solution
After testing, fix or improve it so that it works better!
Test and Refine your solution

9. Review
The Engineering Design Process (EDP) is a systematic method for solving technological problems
Different from the Scientific Method (a systematic method for answering questions)
Consists of six steps:
Identify and state the problem
List criteria and constraints
Brainstorm solutions
Select the best solution
Develop/construct the solution
Test and refine the solution