My Personal Engineering Design Process
Below is my personal engineering process which I have developed after completing multiple engineering design projects. Using this process I have also carried out multiple projects (see under Works page). My engineering design process is constantly refined through my accumulated experience. Serving me as my modus operandi, I hope to continue refining and perfecting my skill as a professional engineer and rely less on intuition and more on logic and reason. Further, my personal engineering design process is a small component of a larger project: my engineering handbook. After having accumulated sufficient experience, I hope to create an engineering handbook which can be used by engineers other than myself.
Engineering_Process_HD.pdf | |
File Size: | 43 kb |
File Type: |
Description of Methodology
Problem Identification
The problem Identification is the initiation stage of the design process. This step requires the identification of the problem and of the stakeholders. It is important to understand the significance of the stakeholders. In the case of the Request for Proposal (RFP), the community identification and understanding is a majority of the project. In the RFP showcased under Works page, it is demonstrated that the problem is identified upon understanding the community first. However, in the Design Brief, as showcased under the Works page, the stakeholders are numerated upon the identification of the problem. In essence, different circumstances require that either the stakeholders be identified and the problem be identified therefrom or vice versa. However, the importance of neither aspect should be underestimated as they both hold equivalent significance.
Initial Design Stage
The initial design stage initiates with problem standardization. In this stage, the problem is defined. The problem can be defined generally at first. However, after iterating, the problem must be clear cut and identified before proceeding to the next stage. In the process of defining and refining the problem statement, preliminary research is done in order to provide focus and stability to the problem. The research helps frame the issue.
Reframing of the issue is the first of the three stabilizing factors of the project. Reframing of the issue is the choosing of the problem. The reframing stage occurs after having initially chosen a problem. Usually, as in the case of my experience, the initial problem is reframed for two reasons: the problem is not solvable by the engineer, there is a lack of information to solve the problem. Scoping and pivoting hold equal significance. A problem is scoped when the issue is too large. For instance, in the RFP under Works page, the problem was initially defined to be cold affecting cyclists and the community was of cyclists. However, the problem and community were later scoped to cold hands and the the community defined as riders.
The process setup is done after the the reframing and scoping processes. This is because the reiterations to frame and scope the issue and community (i.e. stakeholders) require the engineer to undergo sufficient background research. In the process setup, objectives are set along with measurable metrics. The metrics should be measurable in the sense that the access to the metric should not be beyond the engineer's reach.
Conceptual Design Stage
It is preferred that a team be present during the conceptual design stage in order to undergo the ideation process. In the ideation process each individual contributes ideas to design the solution: contraptions, figures, designs, drawings, words, etc. Using the ideas each individual develops their unique understanding of the solution.
Next, each individual refines their design to pass the constraints developed in the Initial Design Stage. Each individual should set out dfXs for their solutions which they can support and justify. Also, further research helps develop and refine the concept.
Each team member, after having undergone the development of their own concepts would now have to bring together all the concepts and compare. Each concept is meted against one another using comparison and convergence techniques. Each individual concept may now be further refined and the process may be reiterated. Thereafter, a unique solution is selected. After having completed the conceptual design. high level objectives are set for the details pertaining to the concept. These objectives are then passed onto the Detail Design team.
Detail Design Stage
The Detailed Design stage is a more difficult in that it requires much research to complete competently. Another aspect that makes the Detailed Design difficult is that collaboration with other team members must be made while being careful not to narrow the range of possible solutions. In the preliminary design phase the importance of the detail is justified along with its contribution to the final design of the product And by doing this,reasonable constraints can be set via syllogism along with secondary objectives and criteria. Also, by setting out criteria, personal design values can be established into the design which enhances the credibility of the overall project due to my indifference to the conceptual design.
After finding a few reference solutions to the detail, collaboration with other detail design team members becomes imperative. This is because each detail pertaining to the concept is very related, one way or another, to another detail. For instance, in the DDR under the Works page, I had to collaborate with my Detail Design team member responsible for selecting the material for the pencil cartridge, for I was responsible for choosing the material. I also had to collaborate with another team member responsible for the number of dividers present in the cartridge, for this determined the volume needed to hold 18 pieces of lead in the cartridge.
After, collaborating with other team members, comparison techniques are used to determine ideal solution.
Communication Stage
The communication stage is a vital stage in order to attain recognition for the project. But before the communication, it is important to have developed a prototype. At least two prototypes should be provided for the concept: one high fidelity prototype and one low fidelity. A high fidelity prototype is usually a physical prototype demonstrating the physical characteristics of the final product while the low fidelity prototype demonstrates the details of the solution.
A Device Design Report is a report summarizes the conceptual design into an easy and manageable document. In it, are outlined, the values of the design team, the problem, the solutions, the objectives, and the design values.
Finally, the best way to demonstrate the project is in the form of a video presentation. Prepare a script and demonstrate the research, time, and effort put into the project
The problem Identification is the initiation stage of the design process. This step requires the identification of the problem and of the stakeholders. It is important to understand the significance of the stakeholders. In the case of the Request for Proposal (RFP), the community identification and understanding is a majority of the project. In the RFP showcased under Works page, it is demonstrated that the problem is identified upon understanding the community first. However, in the Design Brief, as showcased under the Works page, the stakeholders are numerated upon the identification of the problem. In essence, different circumstances require that either the stakeholders be identified and the problem be identified therefrom or vice versa. However, the importance of neither aspect should be underestimated as they both hold equivalent significance.
Initial Design Stage
The initial design stage initiates with problem standardization. In this stage, the problem is defined. The problem can be defined generally at first. However, after iterating, the problem must be clear cut and identified before proceeding to the next stage. In the process of defining and refining the problem statement, preliminary research is done in order to provide focus and stability to the problem. The research helps frame the issue.
Reframing of the issue is the first of the three stabilizing factors of the project. Reframing of the issue is the choosing of the problem. The reframing stage occurs after having initially chosen a problem. Usually, as in the case of my experience, the initial problem is reframed for two reasons: the problem is not solvable by the engineer, there is a lack of information to solve the problem. Scoping and pivoting hold equal significance. A problem is scoped when the issue is too large. For instance, in the RFP under Works page, the problem was initially defined to be cold affecting cyclists and the community was of cyclists. However, the problem and community were later scoped to cold hands and the the community defined as riders.
The process setup is done after the the reframing and scoping processes. This is because the reiterations to frame and scope the issue and community (i.e. stakeholders) require the engineer to undergo sufficient background research. In the process setup, objectives are set along with measurable metrics. The metrics should be measurable in the sense that the access to the metric should not be beyond the engineer's reach.
Conceptual Design Stage
It is preferred that a team be present during the conceptual design stage in order to undergo the ideation process. In the ideation process each individual contributes ideas to design the solution: contraptions, figures, designs, drawings, words, etc. Using the ideas each individual develops their unique understanding of the solution.
Next, each individual refines their design to pass the constraints developed in the Initial Design Stage. Each individual should set out dfXs for their solutions which they can support and justify. Also, further research helps develop and refine the concept.
Each team member, after having undergone the development of their own concepts would now have to bring together all the concepts and compare. Each concept is meted against one another using comparison and convergence techniques. Each individual concept may now be further refined and the process may be reiterated. Thereafter, a unique solution is selected. After having completed the conceptual design. high level objectives are set for the details pertaining to the concept. These objectives are then passed onto the Detail Design team.
Detail Design Stage
The Detailed Design stage is a more difficult in that it requires much research to complete competently. Another aspect that makes the Detailed Design difficult is that collaboration with other team members must be made while being careful not to narrow the range of possible solutions. In the preliminary design phase the importance of the detail is justified along with its contribution to the final design of the product And by doing this,reasonable constraints can be set via syllogism along with secondary objectives and criteria. Also, by setting out criteria, personal design values can be established into the design which enhances the credibility of the overall project due to my indifference to the conceptual design.
After finding a few reference solutions to the detail, collaboration with other detail design team members becomes imperative. This is because each detail pertaining to the concept is very related, one way or another, to another detail. For instance, in the DDR under the Works page, I had to collaborate with my Detail Design team member responsible for selecting the material for the pencil cartridge, for I was responsible for choosing the material. I also had to collaborate with another team member responsible for the number of dividers present in the cartridge, for this determined the volume needed to hold 18 pieces of lead in the cartridge.
After, collaborating with other team members, comparison techniques are used to determine ideal solution.
Communication Stage
The communication stage is a vital stage in order to attain recognition for the project. But before the communication, it is important to have developed a prototype. At least two prototypes should be provided for the concept: one high fidelity prototype and one low fidelity. A high fidelity prototype is usually a physical prototype demonstrating the physical characteristics of the final product while the low fidelity prototype demonstrates the details of the solution.
A Device Design Report is a report summarizes the conceptual design into an easy and manageable document. In it, are outlined, the values of the design team, the problem, the solutions, the objectives, and the design values.
Finally, the best way to demonstrate the project is in the form of a video presentation. Prepare a script and demonstrate the research, time, and effort put into the project