1. Unit 2 Lesson 1 What Is the Design Process?
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2. Unit 2 Lesson 1 What Is the Design Process?
Works of Ingenuity
• Computers and other engineered devices help us
solve many problems.
• Engineers use computers and hand-drawn
diagrams to plan designs.
• People use products of engineering every day,
such as toothbrushes, faucets, cars, and buses.
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3. Unit 2 Lesson 1 What Is the Design Process?
Works of Ingenuity
• Engineers are problem solvers who invent or
improve products that help us meet our needs.
• Engineering is the process of using science and
mathematics to find solutions to everyday
problems.
• Engineers work in many fields. They can design
and test materials, work in factories or on farms,
or work in medical laboratories.
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4. Unit 2 Lesson 1 What Is the Design Process?
The Right Tool for the Right Job
• Technology is any device that people use to meet
their needs and solve practical problems.
• Technologies such as tools and machines, medicines,
and even weather satellites play an important role in
improving lives.
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5. Unit 2 Lesson 1 What Is the Design Process?
The Right Tool for the Right Job
• Technology changes as people’s knowledge increases
and they find better ways to meet their needs.
• For example, over the past 150 years electric
washing machines have replaced washboards and
hand-cranked washing machines.
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6. Unit 2 Lesson 1 What Is the Design Process?
The Design Process (Part 1)
• Engineers follow a design process to design new
technologies. The process includes a series of
steps.
• Engineers identify a need, or problem, and then
brainstorm possible solutions.
• Engineers also choose the most practical solution
and build a working model, or prototype, to test.
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7. Unit 2 Lesson 1 What Is the Design Process?
The Design Process (Part 1)
• Engineers keep careful records, such as detailed
notes and drawings, throughout the design
process.
• These records help engineers remember what
they have done and provide information to others
working on similar problems.
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8. Unit 2 Lesson 1 What Is the Design Process?
The Design Process (Part 1)
• These detailed records are also used to build and
make changes to the prototype.
• If the prototype doesn’t work, the records help the
engineer determine what might work next time.
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9. Unit 2 Lesson 1 What Is the Design Process?
The Design Process (Part 2)
• Engineers test and improve the prototype based
on criteria, or standards that determine how well
the design is doing its job.
• They also redesign and modify the design if it
does not meet all criteria or is unsafe.
• Engineers then communicate the design results
orally and in written reports.
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10. Unit 2 Lesson 1 What Is the Design Process?
If At First You Don’t Succeed...
• Materials, cost, production time, and safety are
some of the criteria that engineers consider when
designing products.
• Thomas Edison tried a thousand times and took
two years to develop a longer-lasting light bulb.
• Finding materials that work well affects the design
process. When designing the light bulb, Edison
had to find materials that can handle heat.
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11. Unit 2 Lesson 1 What Is the Design Process?
If At First You Don’t Succeed...
• Some technologies are costly to develop. The high
cost of building prototypes can affect the cost of
the final product.
• Some products, such as cars, can take years to
develop because they must undergo safety and
environmental testing.
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