1. Engineering Design Process Developed by: Greg Strimel for the Maryland State Department of Education Office of STEM initiatives
Planning Guide

2. What problem are we solving?
DEFINE A PROBLEM
Most Problems are ill-defined, so the first step is to create a concise problem statement to guide the process of creating a viable solution
What is the problem that you are trying to solve?
Why is it a problem?, who does it effect?, when does it occur? When does it happen?
A problem statement does not imply a solution
Example Problem Statement:
While participating in athletic events on turf fields during hot weather, cleats tend to absorb the heat which makes feet burn and uncomfortable.
Example Design Brief:
Create a product or process to decrease the temperature in feet while playing on turf during hot weather.
What problem are we solving?

3. Brainstorming Hot Turf
Now that you have a problem defined, you can start brainstorming ideas to research for solutions
Mind-Mapping is a great technique for coming up with as many ideas related to your problem.
Work towards quantity
Never criticize anyone’s idea
Encourage Wild Ideas
Hot Turf
Shoe
Field
Heat Diffusion

4. Research & Generate Ideas
Use the items from your Mind-Map to begin your research.
What have others done?
What do you need to know?
science, math concepts
Look on-line
As you look at what others
have done – do you have any
more ideas?
Cite your sources!
Google is not a source! It is a search engine.

5. IDENTIFY CRITERIA & CONTRAINTS
Now that you know the Problem and some information, it is time to look at what the requirements are.
Criteria are the the things that your solution must do
Constraints are the limitations that are applied to your design
This will include what resources are needed:
People, Time, Materials, Tools, Capitol, Energy, and Knowledge

6. Explore Possibilities
Review the Problem Statement
Review your brainstorming
Review your research.
Review the criteria & constraints
Create at least three sketches of possible solutions to your problem.
These sketches should include annotations

7. Explore Possibilities
Review the Problem Statement
Review your brainstorming
Review your research.
Review the criteria & constraints
Create at least three sketches of possible solutions to your problem.
These sketches should include annotations

8. Select an Approach
Use a Decision Matrix to determine which of your possible solution ideas meet the criteria and constraints the best.
This is a Table
Criteria along the top
Possible solutions along the left side
Use your ideas to complete this table.
Idea
Total 1 2 3

9. Select an Approach 1 2 3 Idea Total
Performance
Durability
Comfort
Competitive Cost
Safe Materials
Light weight
Total 1 2 3
Analyze each idea based on the criteria
1 = it is a stretch = does not meet the criteria
4 = meets it perfectly
YES = 1
3 = is close but not perfect
NO = 0
2 = just a little bit
Total up the results.

10. Select an Approach 1 2 1 2 3 This is a sample of how it should work
Idea
Performance
Durability
Comfort
Competitive Cost
Safe Materials
Light weight
Total 1 4 3
Yes =1
Yes= 1 2
Yes = 1
No =0
Idea
Performance
Durability
Comfort
Competitive Cost
Safe Materials
Light weight
Total 1 2 3
Analyze each idea based on the criteria
4 = meets it perfectly
3 = is close but not perfect
2 = just a little bit
1 = it is a stretch to say it comes close
0 = does not meet the criteria
YES = 1
NO = 0
Total up the results.
This is a sample of how it should work
In the event of a tie – give weight to the “more important” criteria

11. Select an Approach 1 16 2 15 13 Explanatory Writing
Idea
Performance
Durability
Comfort
Competitive Cost
Safe Materials
Light weight
Total 1 4 3
Yes =1
Yes= 1 16 2
Yes = 1 15
No =0 13
Explanatory Writing
Create an explanation on why the selected design is the best solution to the problem.
This explanatory writing must be based on logic, facts, and data.
Your explanation must be well written and make use of the references from your research

12. Develop a design proposal
You will need to create a Multi-view drawing of your best solution.
Make sure that you include dimensions and other important information.
Some solutions may be complex and need many drawings to build from.
What you design here is what you will build and ultimately test.

13. Make a model or prototype
Once you have made your proposal for a solution based off of your research, you can begin to build a model or prototype to test.
Model:
A visual, mathematical, or three-dimensional representation in detail of an object or design, often smaller than the original. A model is often used to test ideas, make changes to a design, and to learn more about what would happen to a similar, real object.
Prototype:
A full-scale working model used to test a design concept by making actual observations and necessary adjustments.
DON’T FORGET TO TAKE PICTURES AND VIDEOS

14. Test & Evaluate You will need to create a test for your solution.
Some projects may be destroyed after testing, so you might want to come up with non-destructive tests.
Create a table to record your test results.

15. REDESIGN
As you test your solution, you will make changes based on the results of the test.
Take pictures or videos of these changes.

16. Create It This is your final solution to the design.
Take a picture of the final solution.
Video testing the final solution

17. Communicate Results
An engineer must be able to communicate his or her work.
You can be the most brilliant engineer but if you can successfully communicate your ideas with others, then your ideas are useless.
Create an argument on why your design is the best solution to the problem or why it is not.
This argument must be based on logic, facts, and data.
A valid argument also provides the facts and data for the opposing argument.
Your argument must be well
written and make use of the
references from your research
and testing results.

18. Evaluate Your process