Engineering Design Process Lecture Notes

Introduction

• Previously covered: Design statement and defining the problem.
• Focus of this lecture: Defining criteria and constraints.

Criteria and Constraints

Criteria

• Definition: What you want your design to achieve or its purpose.
• Importance: Essential to understand for the successful building of the product.
• Examples: For a pet carrier:
  • Safely transport the pet.
  • Provide food and water if needed.
  • Ensure adequate air for animals like turtles, not fish.

Constraints

• Definition: Rules or limitations restricting what you can do.
• Examples:
  • Materials: Availability of materials like cardboard, wood, metal.
  • Time: Limited time to complete the project (e.g., arrive at the vet before closing).
  • Cost: Budget limitations (e.g., not using expensive materials like gold).

Importance of Defining Criteria and Constraints

• Helps in focusing on design and keeping ideas realistic.
• More precise definition leads to a better-focused design process.

Practical Application Example

• Pet Carrier Problem:
  • Design and construct a carrier to safely transport a pet to the vet.
  • Considerations for criteria and constraints:
    • Safe transport, air supply, material choice, time, and cost.

Transition to Next Step

• Next stage: Brainstorming Process.
• Use criteria and constraints to guide brainstorming:
  • Consider problem, research, desired design outcomes, and limitations as a foundation for idea generation.