THE ENGINEERING PROCESS

Opportunity → Concept → Design → Product

IDEO: RE-INVENTING INVENTINGIDEO, a company in Silicon Valley California, is responsible for hundreds of unique, cutting-edge inventions we use everyday. As you watch the video, look for how the team works together to come up with creative ideas and turn them into a final product.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M66ZU2PCIcM

DISCUSSION

1. Who was the “boss”? Why?2. How did they get “expert” information

about shopping carts?3. How did they direct their discussion and

idea sharing?4. What does “fail often in order to succeed

sooner” mean?5. How did they put all their ideas together

into a final product?6. How does any of this apply to SeaPerch?

OPPORTUNITY To begin designing

something, we have to first identify an opportunity

An opportunity is something that has potential for success or improvement (IDEO saw safety and theft in shopping carts as an opportunity)

What are some opportunities for improvement with the SeaPerch design?

CONCEPT A concept is a set of ideas to accomplish a task or solve a problem. However, not all concepts are good or practical

Concept Generation Principles• Get “expert” opinions and

build off of ideas of others• Encourage wild ideas! Get as

many ideas as you can• Avoid criticism and

encourage participation• Prioritize and work in focus

areas

Use some time and come up with the as many ideas as you can to meet the opportunity you identified.

DESIGN

An actual IDEO prototype (left) and the final product (right). Don’t be afraid to make a rough prototype!

Design involves taking your concept and finding ways to implement it. Some things that make designing things easier are:• Rough and detailed sketches• Mock-ups and prototypes• Math (yes, there is a reason you

learn it in school)

How can math, sketches, and prototypes help you make a good, functional design of your concept?

Doing math before building helps to make a better design

PRODUCT & CONSTRUCTIONOnce you have decided on a concept to make and have created a functional design, make sure you double check everything!• Are your measurements correct?• Do you have the needed materials?• Do you have enough time to finish?• Does everyone know their assignments to

make the product?

Some other tips for building• Give assignments to everyone

in the group. Report back to each other often.

• Don’t be afraid to ask for help from others

• Don’t procrastinate your work. Time is your most important resource!