Engineering Design Process Concept Map

FOCUS QUESTION

What are the steps of the engineering design process?

The map breaks this topic into its core concepts, connected by labeled relationships. Each link is written so it can be read as a complete statement — not just an unlabeled line between boxes.

Concepts and relationships

• Engineering Design Process begins with Define Problem.
• Define Problem informed by Research.
• Research leads to Brainstorm.
• Brainstorm builds a Prototype.
• Prototype evaluated by Test.
• Test guides Improve.
• Improve loops back to Prototype.
• Improve yields Solution.

How to read this map

Follow the loop from defining the problem through prototyping and testing, and note how improvement loops back to a new prototype.

Learning objectives

• Order the design-process steps.
• Explain why the process is iterative.
• Describe prototyping and testing.
• Apply the process to a challenge.