the engineering design process
A set of steps that engineers follow to solve a problem is referred to as an engineering process. It is highly iterative and certain steps may be repeated several times in a single project. The steps that are repeated may be framed and articulated differently.
The first step is research. This includes locating data in order to determine needs and understanding the limitations. It is an important part of the engineering process, which allows engineers to determine the most effective solution to an issue.
Once researchers have enough information they can begin brainstorming ideas to solve the issue. This can be done in a number of ways and is the stage where engineering imagination truly flourishes. This is where potential solutions are evaluated and then analyzed. This could involve modeling studies, generating decision matrixes and even constructing prototypes to compare.
In this stage students choose one of their most creative ideas and create a plan to build it. Students then build the prototype using the materials they have chosen and test it to make sure it meets their performance criteria. Students may need to test their prototype and then revise it to ensure it works as intended.
This is a great method to teach the importance of problem solving and iteration. It is typical for engineers to come up with solutions, test them and then identify a new problem that they need to tackle. The process is repeated until the engineer has a solution which meets their expectations.