General Principles of Design

(General Studies & Engineering Aptitude)

-Anirudh Singh Rathore

 What is Engineering?
The creative application of scientific principles to
design or develop structures, machines, apparatus, or
manufacturing processes, or works utilizing them
singly or in combination; or to construct or operate
the same with full cognizance of their design; or to
forecast their behavior under specific operating
conditions; all as respects an intended function,
economics of operation or safety to life and property.
 What is Engineering?
Engineering is the use of science and math to design
or build things.
 What Engineers do?
Engineers usually design or build things that are sold.
(Commercial Aspect of Engineering)

There are different types of engineers that design

everything from computers and buildings to watches
and websites.
 ‘Engineers’ as ‘Inventors’
The engineering creations that we see today did not
just magically appear from nowhere.

They were first created in the minds of engineers, then

they were thought, researched, planned, designed,
tested and then were made.

Engineers invented these creations and over the time

they took efforts to refine the previously existing
designs to make these products better.
 Design Problem v/s
Analysis Problem
Design problems are more vaguely defined than
analysis problems.

In analysis problems, the designed product is already

known. Engineers just test and calculate various
parameters related to the product.

In Design problems, the product itself is unknown and

engineers have no idea how the product will look like
or how it will perform when completed.
 The Engineering Process
To solve a design problem, the process or methodology
that all kinds of engineers adopt is called “The
Engineering process”.

It is also called as “The Design Process” or “The

Engineering Design Process” or “The Technological
Design Process”.

It is a series of sequential or methodical steps the

engineers follow to solve the design problems.
The Steps in Engineering Design
1.
Define the
Problem

5. 2.
Test and Gather
Implement the Pertinent
Solution Information

4. 3.
Analyze and Generate
Select a Multiple
Solution Solutions
1. Define the Problem
 1. Define the Problem
 To solve a problem, you must first know what the problem
is.

 By defining the problem properly, you make it easier to

solve, which means saving time, money and resources.

 Finding or identifying a problem is sometimes even more

important than the solution itself. For example, Galileo
recognized the problem of needing to know the speed of
light, but did not come up with a solution. It took advances
in mathematics and science to solve this measurement
problem. Yet Galileo still received credit for finding the
problem.
2. Gather Pertinent Information
 Sometimes after researching though various sources
some facts are revealed which may require the initial
problem statement to be modified or redefined.

 Sources of research may include:

 Traditional publications or online journals.
 College libraries.

 Scientific encyclopedias and technical handbooks.

 Internet.
3. Generate Multiple Solutions
 The key concept here is

 The more creative the design team is, the more ‘out the
box’ solutions will be generated.

 In this method, the ‘divergent thinking’ part of creativity

plays the major role.
4. Analyze and Select a Solution
 After the various solutions are generated, engineers need to
analyze those solutions on various parameters and then decide
the best solution among them.

 Each alternative solution has to be tested on following

parameters:
 Functional Analysis.
 Industrial design/Ergonomics.
 Mechanical/Strength Analysis.
 Electrical/Electromagnetic.
 Manufacturability.
 Product safety and liability.
 Economy and Market Analysis.
 Regulatory and Compliance.
4. Analyze and Select a Solution
1. Functional Analysis:
 This is by far the most important criteria for analysis of
design solutions.
 If this criteria is not satisfied, then the design is
considered as fail even if it satisfies all other criteria.
 For example, A watch may be aesthetically very good
looking, consumes very less power or comes at very
affordable price, it will still be considered a design
failure if it does not show time correctly.
 NASA’s space probe mission failed because it failed to
perform one of its function to deploy parachutes upon
entry into earth’s orbit.
4. Analyze and Select a Solution
1. Functional Failure:

 NASA’s space probe mission - Genesis - failed because

it failed to perform one of its function to deploy
parachutes upon entry into earth’s orbit.
4. Analyze and Select a Solution
2. Industrial Design/Ergonomics:
A Design Example
4. Analyze and Select a Solution
An example: Design a mouse trap.
 Engineering design team brainstorms and develops 4
alternate solutions.

 Design 1:
4. Analyze and Select a Solution
An example: Design a mouse trap.
 Design 2:
4. Analyze and Select a Solution
An example: Design a mouse trap.
 Design 3:
4. Analyze and Select a Solution
An example: Design a mouse trap.
 Design 4:
4. Analyze and Select a Solution
An example: Design a mouse trap.
 Six criteria are listed and and assigned weight to each.
 Safety - 30%
 Ease of use - 20%
 Painless to mouse - 20%
 Cost - 15%
 Aesthetics - 10%
 Portability - 5%
4. Analyze and Select a Solution
The Decision Matrix