Engineering Design Course

Lesson 1 • Stakeholders and Design Context

Identifies who is affected by design outcomes and why context shapes requirements. Grounds technical work in human and organizational reality.

Lesson 2 • What Engineering Design Is

Defines engineering design as a purposeful, iterative problem-solving process. Distinguishes it from scientific inquiry and artistic creation.

Lesson 3 • The Design Process Overview

Maps the standard phases from problem identification to solution delivery. Provides a repeatable framework students apply throughout the course.

Lesson 4 • Design Thinking Mindsets

Introduces empathy, curiosity, and tolerance for ambiguity as professional habits. Links mindset to higher-quality design outcomes.

Lesson 1 • Identifying and Framing the Problem

Techniques for uncovering root causes rather than surface symptoms. Accurate framing prevents costly rework in later design phases.

Lesson 2 • Specifications and Metrics

Assigns quantitative targets and acceptable ranges to each requirement. Enables objective comparison of design alternatives later in the process.

Lesson 3 • Gathering User and Stakeholder Needs

Structured methods for eliciting needs from users, clients, and regulators. Converts qualitative input into actionable design data.

Lesson 4 • Translating Needs into Requirements

Converts stakeholder needs into measurable functional and performance requirements. Establishes the criteria used to evaluate all candidate solutions.

Lesson 1 • Concept Sketching and Communication

Develops visual communication skills for conveying design intent quickly. Sketches serve as the primary record of early-stage concepts.

Lesson 2 • Principles of Creative Ideation

Explains cognitive barriers to creativity and strategies to overcome them. Sets the stage for productive, judgment-free idea generation.

Lesson 3 • Individual Ideation Techniques

Covers solo methods including sketching, SCAMPER, and morphological analysis. Builds personal ideation fluency before group sessions.

Lesson 4 • Group Ideation Methods

Structured team-based techniques that leverage diverse perspectives. Produces more varied concepts than individual methods alone.

Lesson 1 • Scoring and Ranking Methods

Quantitative matrices assign scores to surviving concepts against weighted criteria. Produces a defensible, auditable ranking of alternatives.

Lesson 2 • Handling Uncertainty in Selection

Addresses incomplete information and risk when comparing concepts. Prevents premature convergence on a concept with hidden weaknesses.

Lesson 3 • Communicating the Selection Decision

Structures a clear rationale for the chosen concept for stakeholder review. Builds trust and enables informed approval to proceed.

Lesson 4 • Evaluation Criteria and Weighting

Derives evaluation criteria directly from requirements and stakeholder priorities. Weighted criteria ensure decisions reflect actual project goals.

Lesson 1 • Dimensioning and Tolerancing

Assigns dimensions and tolerances that ensure fit, function, and manufacturability. Introduces geometric dimensioning and tolerancing fundamentals.

Lesson 2 • Engineering Drawings and CAD Basics

Produces standard engineering drawings that communicate design intent unambiguously. Introduces CAD modeling as the primary design documentation tool.

Lesson 3 • From Concept to Embodiment

Bridges abstract concept and physical form through systematic layout design. Establishes spatial relationships, interfaces, and subsystem boundaries.

Lesson 4 • Design for Manufacture and Assembly

Applies DFM and DFA principles to reduce production cost and assembly errors. Connects detailed design decisions to downstream manufacturing outcomes.

Lesson 1 • Safety Standards and Design Compliance

Applies safety-by-design principles and relevant industry safety frameworks. Ensures designs meet functional safety requirements before release.

Lesson 2 • Risk Identification and Assessment

Systematic methods for identifying technical, safety, and project risks early. Risk identification prevents costly failures and liability exposure.

Lesson 3 • Reliability Engineering Basics

Introduces reliability metrics, life distributions, and redundancy strategies. Connects component reliability to overall system performance targets.

Lesson 4 • Fault Tree and Event Tree Analysis

Top-down and bottom-up logic models map pathways to system failure. Complements FMEA with system-level failure pathway visualization.

Lesson 1 • Testing and Measurement

Designs experiments to generate valid data for requirement verification. Covers instrumentation, data collection, and statistical interpretation.

Lesson 2 • Engineering Analysis Fundamentals

Applies first-principles analysis to predict design performance before building. Covers load, stress, thermal, and fluid analysis at an introductory level.

Lesson 3 • Validation Against Requirements

Compares test and simulation results to specifications to confirm compliance. Identifies gaps and drives design iteration when requirements are unmet.

Lesson 4 • Prototyping Strategies

Selects prototype type and fidelity based on the question being answered. Covers physical, digital, and hybrid prototyping approaches.

Lesson 1 • Design Package and Deliverables

Assembles all design artifacts into a complete, transferable design package. Ensures downstream teams can manufacture and maintain the design without ambiguity.

Lesson 2 • Technical Writing for Engineers

Develops clear, concise technical writing skills for reports and specifications. Accurate documentation is essential for design handoff and regulatory review.

Lesson 3 • Design Change Management

Controls modifications to released designs through formal change processes. Prevents unauthorized changes that compromise safety or performance.

Lesson 4 • Design Review Presentations

Structures and delivers formal design reviews to technical and non-technical audiences. Covers slide design, data visualization, and handling questions.