Understanding the Engineering Design Process

Process engineering design is the formulation of plans to help an engineer build a product with specific performance goals. This process involves a number of steps, and part of the process may need to be repeated many times before production of the final product can begin.


Design engineering


The engineering design process is a multi-step process including research, conceptualization, feasibility assessment, specifying design requirements, preliminary design, detailed design, production planning and tool design, and finally production.

What is Engineering Design!

Engineering design is a method engineers use to identify and solve problems. This has been described and mapped in many ways, but all descriptions include some common attributes, Engineering design is a process. This powerful approach to problem solving is flexible enough to work in almost any situation. Engineers learn critical information about problems and possible solutions at each step or phase of the process.

A design engineer is an engineer focused on the engineering design process in any of the various engineering disciplines (including civil, mechanical, electrical, chemical, textiles, aerospace, nuclear, manufacturing, systems, and structural /building/architectural) and design disciplines like Human-Computer Interaction. 

Design engineers tend to work on products and systems that involve adapting and using complex scientific and mathematical techniques. The emphasis tends to be on utilizing engineering physics and other applied sciences to develop solutions for society ( Wikipedia ).

Part of the process :

  • Research
  • Conceptualization
  • Feasibility assessment
  • Define design requirements
  • initial design
  • Design details
  • Production planning and tool design
  • Production

Once the engineering problem is clearly defined, solutions should be identified. These solutions can be found by using ideation, or mental processes with which the ideas are generated.