What Is "Engineering Design"?
Let's break it up into two words:
What is Engineering?
The Accreditation Board of Engineering and Technology describes engineering as this:
"ENGINEERING is the profession in which a knowledge of the mathematical and natural sciences gained by study, experience, and practice is applied with judgment to develop ways to utilize economically the materials and forces of nature for the benefit of mankind." [1]
Oxford Dictionaries defines it as:
"the branch of science and technology concerned with the design, building, and use of engines, machines, and structures." and "the action of working artfully to bring something about." [2]
What is Design?
According to William R. Miller:
"Design is the thought process comprising the creation of an entity." [3]
According to "Engineering Design: The Conceptual Stage" written by M. J. French:
"...design is taken to mean all the process of conception, invention, visualization, calculation, marshalling, refinement, and specifying of details which determine the form of an engineering product. Design generally begins with a need." [4]
Engineering Design?
The CEO of IDEO expresses their approach to engineering design as Design Thinking:
“Design thinking is a human-centered approach to innovation that draws from the designer's toolkit to integrate the needs of people, the possibilities of technology, and the requirements for business success.” —Tim Brown, president and CEO [5]
My Engineering Design Definition
Engineering Design is a process ideally resulting in a solution that addresses the needs of the key stakeholders affected by the problem in question. It consists of several stages, such as identifying the problem, outlining the requirements that must be addressed to solve the problem, reframing the problem from the perspectives of the various stakeholders taken into consideration, refining the requirements within the limitations of the medium, the conceptual phase (i.e. ideation, comparison, feedback, iteration, etc.), the detailed phase (i.e. research, calculation, comparison, decision, etc.), and the modelling of solutions. These steps should all contribute to meeting the needs of the stakeholders without breaching the boundaries set by the medium being used or the constraints set by the stakeholders themselves.
References
[1] The Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology paraphrased by the Western Michigan University. Definition of Engineering/Engineering Technology. Retrieved December 2, 2013 from the Western Michigan University website: http://www.wmich.edu/engineer/ceee/miller/082903/Lecture%20Notes.pdf
[2] Oxford Dictionaries (2013). Definition of Engineering in english. Retrieved December 3, 2013 from the Oxford Dictionaries website: http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/engineering
[3] William R. Miller (2004). Definition of Design. Retrieved December 3, 2013 from the William R. Miller Design website: http://www.wrmdesign.com/Philosophy/Documents/DefinitionDesign.htm
[4] M. J. French, in Engineering Design: The Conceptual Stage, 48 Charles Street, London, Great Britain, Heinemann Educational Books, 1971, pp. 1, 2.
[5] IDEO (2013). About IDEO. Retrieved December 3, 2013 from the IDEO website: http://www.ideo.com/about/
What is Engineering?
The Accreditation Board of Engineering and Technology describes engineering as this:
"ENGINEERING is the profession in which a knowledge of the mathematical and natural sciences gained by study, experience, and practice is applied with judgment to develop ways to utilize economically the materials and forces of nature for the benefit of mankind." [1]
Oxford Dictionaries defines it as:
"the branch of science and technology concerned with the design, building, and use of engines, machines, and structures." and "the action of working artfully to bring something about." [2]
What is Design?
According to William R. Miller:
"Design is the thought process comprising the creation of an entity." [3]
According to "Engineering Design: The Conceptual Stage" written by M. J. French:
"...design is taken to mean all the process of conception, invention, visualization, calculation, marshalling, refinement, and specifying of details which determine the form of an engineering product. Design generally begins with a need." [4]
Engineering Design?
The CEO of IDEO expresses their approach to engineering design as Design Thinking:
“Design thinking is a human-centered approach to innovation that draws from the designer's toolkit to integrate the needs of people, the possibilities of technology, and the requirements for business success.” —Tim Brown, president and CEO [5]
My Engineering Design Definition
Engineering Design is a process ideally resulting in a solution that addresses the needs of the key stakeholders affected by the problem in question. It consists of several stages, such as identifying the problem, outlining the requirements that must be addressed to solve the problem, reframing the problem from the perspectives of the various stakeholders taken into consideration, refining the requirements within the limitations of the medium, the conceptual phase (i.e. ideation, comparison, feedback, iteration, etc.), the detailed phase (i.e. research, calculation, comparison, decision, etc.), and the modelling of solutions. These steps should all contribute to meeting the needs of the stakeholders without breaching the boundaries set by the medium being used or the constraints set by the stakeholders themselves.
References
[1] The Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology paraphrased by the Western Michigan University. Definition of Engineering/Engineering Technology. Retrieved December 2, 2013 from the Western Michigan University website: http://www.wmich.edu/engineer/ceee/miller/082903/Lecture%20Notes.pdf
[2] Oxford Dictionaries (2013). Definition of Engineering in english. Retrieved December 3, 2013 from the Oxford Dictionaries website: http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/engineering
[3] William R. Miller (2004). Definition of Design. Retrieved December 3, 2013 from the William R. Miller Design website: http://www.wrmdesign.com/Philosophy/Documents/DefinitionDesign.htm
[4] M. J. French, in Engineering Design: The Conceptual Stage, 48 Charles Street, London, Great Britain, Heinemann Educational Books, 1971, pp. 1, 2.
[5] IDEO (2013). About IDEO. Retrieved December 3, 2013 from the IDEO website: http://www.ideo.com/about/