The Design Process
As we design solutions to real-world problems, it is helpful to think about the design process. I have outlined it here for you. As you continue through the design process, ask yourself and your group members the questions below each step to help you design, create, and test your prototype!
We will come together to confer about our designs in our Thursday meetings, to offer suggestions and to challenge each other's thinking with questions designed to help us improve our prototypes. You may continue through the design process in your free-time - you don't have to wait until Thursdays to work on your design!
Also, if you think of another possible solution for a problem that another group has identified, feel free to design another solution or to make changes to their design. Please, remember to make a copy of their design and make your changes to the copied design.
1. Identify a problem
2. Brainstorm possible solutions to the problem
3. Plan and carry out tests on your prototype or prototypes to see how successful they are as solutions to your problem
Plan your test
Carry out your tests on your prototype
We will come together to confer about our designs in our Thursday meetings, to offer suggestions and to challenge each other's thinking with questions designed to help us improve our prototypes. You may continue through the design process in your free-time - you don't have to wait until Thursdays to work on your design!
Also, if you think of another possible solution for a problem that another group has identified, feel free to design another solution or to make changes to their design. Please, remember to make a copy of their design and make your changes to the copied design.
1. Identify a problem
- How will you know if your design/prototype is successful? What are the goals your prototype must meet in order to be considered fully successful?
- What limitations do you have? (time, cost, materials, size)
2. Brainstorm possible solutions to the problem
- Research the problem - what do others need/want in terms of a solution to the problem? What do you need to know in order to successfully design a prototype?
- Compare multiple solutions to the problem
- How well is each likely to meet the goals for success?
- What other materials do you need (if any) in addition to the 3D printer to complete your prototype?
3. Plan and carry out tests on your prototype or prototypes to see how successful they are as solutions to your problem
Plan your test
- How will you test your prototype?
- How will you know if your prototype is successful?
- Make sure that you have a plan for how you will control variables (other things that can affect the success of your prototype) as you test different elements of your prototype. We will talk about this in one of our Monday meetings in January.
Carry out your tests on your prototype
- How/when did your prototype fail? What elements of your design failed? What other factors caused your prototype to fail?
- What parts of your design will need to be improved?
- How will you improve your prototype?
Engineering links!
Click here for NASA challenges for student engineers!
Click here for more engineering challenges you can do at home with items you have around your house!
Engineering Challenges for 9-12 year old children through PBS Kids Design Squad
Click here for NASA challenges for student engineers!
Click here for more engineering challenges you can do at home with items you have around your house!
Engineering Challenges for 9-12 year old children through PBS Kids Design Squad