The Engineering Process

An engineering process is a set of steps that engineers commonly follow to solve issues. It is highly iterative and certain steps may be repeated multiple times in one project. The specific framing, articulation and frame of the steps repeated will differ.

The first step is research. This involves identifying needs in the first place, locating information, and analyzing constraints. It is an essential part of the engineering design process, as it allows engineers to find the best solution for the given problem.

When researchers have enough information they can begin to brainstorm ideas for solutions to the issue. This can be done in a variety of ways, and is where engineering creativity really thrives. This is the phase where ideas are analyzed and analyzed. This could involve simulation studies, developing decision matrixes, and even creating prototypes for comparison.

In this step students choose one of their best ideas and devise a plan to build it. Then, they construct the prototype using the required materials and then test it against their performance requirements. Students may need to retest their prototype, and possibly revise it to ensure that it performs as expected.

This is a good way to teach students about the importance of problem solving and iteration. Engineers are known to design a solution to a problem, test the solution and later, they discover a new problem. The process is repeated until the engineer steps of the engineering design process can come up with a solution which meets their expectations.