Many engineers use an organized design process to provide solutions to meet the demands of customers. This process can help to give an order to the project and encourages innovative thinking. The objective raw data that is collected during the process can also help to reduce the possibility of bias and improve decision making. The engineering process also instructs that setbacks and errors are valuable sources of data for future projects.
The definition of a problem is the first stage of the engineering design process. Engineers need to be clear on what their product can do and the reason it is needed. This is crucial for the rest of the engineering process.
After the problem is defined It is crucial to gather the most information about the solution. This can be accomplished through conducting research, asking questions that are important and creating ideas. This is where engineering creativity really shines and where the most innovative solutions emerge.
Engineers need to identify possible solutions and weigh their pros and cons before selecting the best. The solution should also be able of meeting the project’s requirements (e.g. cost, materials space, time, etc.) are all important factors.
Once the best solution is selected, it is an excellent idea to create a prototype of the product or equipment. Then, tests can be conducted to find out how well the product performs what it is supposed to accomplish. By identifying problems in the initial stages, it reduces overall project development time and can save money in fixing problems later on.