Engineering Fundamentals: An Introduction to Engineering, 4th ed.c

42 Chapter 3 Introduction to Engineering Design

Step 1: Recognizing the Need for a Product or a Service

All you have to do is look around to realize the large number of products and services —

designed by engineers — that you use every day. Most often, we take these products and services

for granted until, for some reason, there is an interruption in the services they provide. Some of

these existing products are constantly being modified to take advantage of new technologies. For

example, cars and home appliances are constantly being redesigned to incorporate new tech-

nologies. In addition to the products and the services already in use, new products are being

developed every day for the purpose of making our lives more comfortable, more pleasurable,

and less laborious. There is also that old saying that “every time someone complains about a

situation, or about a task, or curses a product, right there, there is an opportunity for a product

or a service.” As you can tell, the need for products and services exists; what one has to do is to

identify them. The need may be identified by you, the company that you may eventually work

for, or by a third-party client who needs a solution to a problem or a new product to make what

it does easier and more efficient.

Step 2: Problem Definition and Understanding

One of the first things you need to do as a design engineer is to fully understand the problem.

This is the most important step in any design process. If you do not have a good grasp of what the

problem is or of what the client wants, you will not come up with a solution that is relevant to

the need of the client. The best way to fully understand a problem is by asking many questions.

You may ask the client questions such as: How much money are you willing to spend on this

project? Are there restrictions on the size or the type of materials that can be used? When

do you need the product or the service? How many of these products do you need? Questions

often lead to more questions that will better define the problem. Moreover, keep in mind that

I need

better roller skates!

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