Design Step 2: Research the Problem
Through Internet research, patent research, standards and codes research, user interviews (if possible) and other techniques (idea web, reverse engineering), students further develop the context for their design challenge. In subsequent activities, the design teams use this body of knowledge about the problem to generate product design ideas. (Note: Conduct this activity in the context of a design project that students are working on, which could be a challenge determined by the teacher, brainstormed with the class, or the example project challenge provided [to design a prosthetic arm that can perform a mechanical function]. This activity is Step 2 in a series of seven steps that guide students through the engineering design process.)
Background research is an important step of the engineering design process.Copyright 2004 Microsoft Corporation, One Microsoft Way, Redmond, WA 98052-6399 USA. All rights reserved.
Developing a thorough knowledge base of existing products related to a need or problem is important for all engineering design projects. This step helps the engineering team determine if a similar product already exists or whether any regulatory and standards issues (such as intellectual property, safety or environmental issues) must be considered in the product design. Engineers often design modifications or incremental improvements to existing products, so one way to learn more about a product is to purchase and take apart similar, competing products.
After this activity, students should be able to:
- Gather and organize background information related to a design challenge.
- Conduct an information search to find existing solutions or products related to a problem.