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Activity (Hands-On)Grades 9 - 12

Creative Engineering Design: Engineering Design Process & Design Thinking

A diagram showing the steps of the Engineering Design Process.The Engineering Design Process

After informally using the various Engineering Design Process (EDP) steps in the previous design challenges, students are formally introduced to the seven-step EDP: Ask, Research, Imagine, Plan, Create, Test, and Improve. Students are also introduced to Design Thinking to help them creatively problem-solve and innovate throughout the Engineering Design Process.

The Engineering Design Process (EDP) is a specific set of seven steps that engineers use to organize their ideas and refine potential solutions to engineering challenges. Embarking on an engineering design project is much more than simply describing the project; engineers must (1) gain an understanding of all the issues surrounding a particular design challenge, identify the specifications and limitations of the project, (2) research the project (including known solutions), (3) imagine possible solutions, (4) develop and plan out solutions to the project, (5) create prototypes of the best ideas, (6) test and evaluate the performance of the product and, if a design does not meet the criteria, (7) the design is reimagined and the process starts anew. The EDP is more than a straightforward cyclical path that engineers follow to solve problems. As engineers iterate on ideas to creatively find solutions, the EDP forms a complex web as they go through the process multiple times to create or improve products and processes that benefit our lives and improve the world around us.

After this activity, students should be able to:

  • List the seven Engineering Design Process (EDP) steps in the correct primary sequence.
  • Describe the seven EDP steps and why each is important to engineering.
  • (optional) Explain the seven Design Thinking skills and provide examples in engineering.

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