The Engineering Design Competency

The NSERC Chairs in Design Engineering

Jorge Angeles (McGill University), Ron Britton (University of Manitoba), Liuchen Chang
(University of New Brunswick), François Charron (Université de Sherbrooke), Peter Gregson
(Dalhousie University), Peihua Gu (University of Calgary), Peter Lawrence (University of
British Columbia), Warren Stiver (University of Guelph), David Strong (Queen’s University),
Paul Stuart (École Polytechnique), Brian Thompson (University of Western Ontario)
Email contact: [Link]@[Link]

Abstract design competencies such as, for example, the ability

to design and conduct experiments, and the ability to
There is increasing global competition for better design a system, component, or process to meet desired
product and process functionality, higher quality, needs.
lower costs, and other considerations including energy Traditionally, quality in engineering education has
and environmental challenges. This trend requires been achieved by providing high quality instruction,
that Canadian industry be more innovative and excellent lab facilities, and relevant tutorials and
responsive in order to stay competitive internationally. assignments. However, the engineering design
The Canadian capability in Engineering Design is at competency cannot easily be developed in the
the core of our ability to achieve this goal. At both the traditional classroom setting. Various approaches are
undergraduate and graduate levels, we must improve currently being adopted by universities in engineering
the capability and capacity of engineering graduates design education including innovative strategies for
so that they are capable of leading innovation, and engineering design content within individual degrees,
converting research results into value-added products employing interdisciplinary approaches, and project-
and services. This paper addresses the engineering based learning.
design competency, identifies needs in engineering To further improve engineering design competency in
design training, and describes directions for the design graduates, a number of issues and challenges must be
content in engineering education programs. addressed which may touch the very foundation of
university traditions. These include such factors as the
1. Introduction current university reward systems, academic programs
development and approval processes, traditional
engineering education models, engineering
In 1999, a new NSERC chair program was created in accreditation requirements and processes, and the
Design Engineering. The NSERC Design Chair Group academic culture in Canadian engineering schools.
has undertaken an initiative to develop a definition of New thinking towards engineering education as well as
the Engineering Design Competency from which research and innovation are essential in order to evolve
universities may draw inspiration in the design of new Canadian engineering education to a new model that
and innovative engineering education programs. will produce engineering graduates who are design-
In response to various factors including particularly a ready and confident in their ability to innovate.
demand by the business and engineering communities This paper is an abbreviated version of a white paper
for enhanced design competencies in graduating entitled The Engineering Design Competency prepared
engineers, there is a trend in engineering accreditation by the NSERC Chairs in Design Engineering.
towards “outcomes-based” assessments and the
integrated engineering design curriculum. Under
outcomes-based criteria, engineering programs must 2. Current Trends in Engineering Design
demonstrate that their graduates have an ability to Education
apply knowledge of mathematics, sciences and
engineering. This incorporates the evaluation of
Accreditation Engineering Design: Under outcomes based criteria,
To ensure that engineering programs offered by engineering design has been emphasized as a key
education institutions meet educational standards component by accreditation organizations. CEAB
acceptable for professional engineer registration, and specifies the minimum of 225 academic units for
that the quality and relevance of engineering education engineering design, and expects that Faculty teaching
continuously improve, engineering associations of engineering science as well as engineering design to be
many countries in the world have established registered professional engineers.
accreditation mechanisms to evaluate and accredit the Internationalization: Globalization has been an
undergraduate engineering programs of education important phenomenon in engineering professions, as
institutions. Accreditation is usually a voluntary, non- marked by mobility of practicing engineers and
governmental process of peer review. In Canada, the students across the borders of countries. International
Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board (CEAB), a agreements on engineering education, accreditation
standing committee of the Canadian Council of and practice have thus been developed. One of the first
Professional Engineers (CCPE), has been responsible agreements was signed in 1980 by the CEAB and the
for the accreditation of Canadian engineering Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) of the
education programs since 1965. United States, where the two parties mutually
In order be accredited, an engineering program must recognize graduates of all engineering programs
meet or exceed the accreditation criteria established accredited by each party.
and published by CEAB. Accredited engineering New and Innovative Engineering Programs: Rapid
programs must contain not only adequate mathematics, development in technology has led to formation of
sciences and engineering content, but also adequate numerous new engineering disciplines. Accreditation
complementary studies that deal with central issues, organizations have responded to these needs of the
methodologies and thought processes of the humanities engineering community by accrediting new programs.
and social sciences. The programs must also allow Examples that have been accredited during the past
students to develop communication skills and an couple of decades include computer engineering,
understanding of the environmental, cultural, economic geomatic engineering, oil and gas engineering,
and social impacts of engineering on society and the software engineering and environmental engineering.
concept of sustainable development (CEAB 2002). Partnerships in Education: Interactions and
Engineering education has been progressing in partnerships between engineering educational institutes
response to the technological advances, political and and outside stakeholders such as engineering
economic realities, engineering job markets and public organizations and associations, and industry and
interests. As a quality assurance program, engineering businesses have been rapidly developed and
accreditation is also evolving. The following trends strengthened in recent years. Partnerships in
have been observed in engineering accreditation in engineering education have been ongoing in two areas:
recent years. • providing engineering students with real-world
Outcomes Assessment: Many engineering accreditation practical experience as an integral part of their
organizations outside Canada have shifted away from academic program, and
prescribing what engineering programs should be like, • inviting “outsiders” from engineering and business
and are evolving toward examining the outcomes of communities into the advisory and decision-
engineering education. The old criteria set standards making bodies controlling the engineering
for faculty size, curricular requirements, and the curriculum.
quality of laboratories and other facilities. The new
criteria focus increasingly on the educational These activities triggered changes in curricula leading
objectives of engineering programs, and evaluation to the development of new means of delivery of
procedures that track whether objectives are met. For engineering education, accelerated the emphasis in
example engineering graduates should have an ability engineering design and project-based learning, and
to apply knowledge of mathematics, sciences and promoted the inclusion of “soft skills” such as
engineering, an ability to design and conduct communications and team work.
experiments as well as to analyze and interpret data, an
ability to design a system, component, or process to Strategic Issues in Engineering and Engineering
meet desired needs, and other similar outcomes (U.S. Design Education
Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology
or ABET, 2001).
Tomorrow’s engineers must cope with problems and the latest software or the latest code/regulatory changes
challenges significantly different from their leads to graduates that are out of step with the practice
predecessors. of engineering.
In the following points, some specific strategic The rapid pace of knowledge growth in engineering
decisions related to Engineering Education are presents a motivation for increased specialization
discussed that must be addressed in the coming years. within engineering curricula. Curriculum renewal
continues to be faced with adding content to reflect
new fields and new technologies, however for every
Program Structure by Discipline and Subject
addition, some content must be removed.
Canada’s Innovation Strategy (Government of Canada
Continuity in Design Education
2002) points to the “need to encourage cross-training
and a multidisciplinary approach, in order to build Most Canadian engineering schools have a first year
capacity among MBAs and engineers for the design course and a final year capstone design
commercialization of these new technologies”. The sequence including design project. In the first year
new technologies referred to were environmental and course, students tackle a relatively simple problem
green energy, but the statement could equally apply to with considerable assistance from teaching assistants
any innovative technology. and faculty members. The capstone design sequence is
based on open-ended projects offered by industry
“The last half or more of the 20th century … has
and/or faculty members. Each group of students
found that the world of practical applications is
typically undertakes a different project with the result
increasingly crossdisciplinary, and even more rapidly
that the ability to learn from each other is minimized.
becoming interdisciplinary. The integration across
In this model, students can become frustrated as their
fields in the world of practical applications is often
design skills have not progressed sufficiently to handle
delayed until the engineer has moved into a job rather
the degree of open-endedness of an industry project.
than being part of his or her university education.
Universities should move to meet their obligations to Alternatively, a number of engineering schools offer a
students and to society need to move toward true “continuum of design” throughout the curriculum.
interdisciplinarity” (Coates 2000). Harvey Mudd College (Bright 1999) has been offering
a sequence of design courses for approximately 40
The need for true interdisciplinarity programs is driven
years, and a number of Canadian engineering schools
by increased local and global competitiveness, both
now offer a continuum of design courses (e.g.,
because industry is rewarded for getting to market first
University of Guelph in all programs, University of
(first-mover advantage) and because markets are no
Manitoba in Biosystems Engineering, University of
longer defined geographically. To meet this need,
Sherbrooke in several departments, and Electrical and
product realization has become a more concurrent and
Computer Engineering at Dalhousie University).
less linear process in most companies, requiring a large
variety of skills on the part of the design team. In Providing a design continuum is critical, however
addition, the rate of employment and innovation is now requires significant cooperation between departments.
greatest in small to medium sized enterprises. These The problems associated with ensuring extensive
organizations require employees to have considerable collaboration between faculty members with the
familiarity with all aspects of the design. requisite expertise are exacerbated by timetabling,
resource allocation, space, and registration issues.
Canadian universities and engineering faculties must
continue to identify these market trends and create Design Facilities
interdisciplinary programs and training opportunities Team-based design and design in general relies on a
which respond to our evolving needs. different mix of educational space than engineering
Engineering Curriculum Renewal with Technology science courses. Design studios, shop (machine or
Changes and Knowledge Growth equivalent), storage space, advanced software, and
large-format printers are just some of the unique needs.
The short- and long-term needs of engineering students
Design studios in particular are not commonly found in
and employers are often in conflict. If engineering
engineering schools in Canada, although some schools
education is to make students maximally employable
have developed them. In particular, the University of
in the short term, it would risk delivering training for
Western Ontario has developed studio-based design
the latest CAD software or the use of a particular
(Thompson, 2001), Queen’s University has the
instrument or process, rather than emphasizing a sound
Integrated Learning Centre (Integrated Learning
understanding of the principles on which these tools
Center, 2004), and the Mechanical Engineering
are based. However, to ignore the latest technology,
Departments at Sherbrooke University and the
University of Calgary have created considerable design processes, materials and systems of all kinds, and bring
facilities and spaces for undergraduate students. to bear rational tools and imagination in methodologies
Faculty Renewal developing optimal solutions (Covo 2003).
In Germany, 10 to 15 years of industry experience was The Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board has
the rule until recently (Altan, 2003). Some schools proposed the following definition of engineering
have implemented proactive programs to engage design (CEAB 2002): Engineering design integrates
faculty and students with industry (Denton 2003) so as mathematics, basic sciences, engineering sciences and
to make faculty more familiar with the modern complementary studies in developing elements, systems
manufacturing environment and to keep faculty and processes to meet specific needs. It is a creative,
technically current. iterative and often open-ended process subject to
constraints that may be governed by standards or
Approximately one-third of the Canadian university
legislation to varying degrees depending on the
engineering faculty in tenured or tenure-track positions
discipline. These degrees may relate to economic,
are over the age of 50 and thus retiring within the next
health, safety, environmental, social or other pertinent
15 years (CCPE 2003). The significant faculty renewal
factors.
that is now underway in Canada presents an
opportunity for innovation and advancement in In its guide on the professional practice of engineering
engineering education while at the same time presents in Canada (CCPE 2001b), the Canadian Council of
some risks. Professional Engineers defines the following
characteristics of a profession:
Tenure, promotion and compensation policies play a
critical role in shaping the activities and priorities of all A profession is a learned calling that requires
faculty, and are especially important for new faculty. advanced knowledge, understanding, and abilities
An opportunity exists to reward interaction with gained from intensive and specialized education,
industry, attract expertise from industry, and to training, and practical experience. Members of a
restructure some courses to better reflect the teamwork, profession limit their activities to their areas of
communication and collaboration skills that are needed knowledge and experience, doing so out of commitment
by industry and society (EEIC 1997, Denton 1997, Bell to serve and protect the public. Professional
2000, Grinter 1955). practitioners also ensure that their competency is
maintained throughout their careers.
For example, engineering design teaching is
recognized as requiring considerably more time for In addition to theoretical and technical knowledge,
course development, project selection and student effective professional practice requires reflective and
consultation. Course loads for team-taught engineering practical knowledge and competencies for dealing with
design courses must be computed appropriately so as problems in the indeterminate zones of practice, that is,
to recognize the extra effort required for developing the areas that do not yield to technical or familiar
and delivering these courses. solutions. These competencies are critically important
to the education and development of professionals in
The Macleans Magazine “Ranking Canadian
the climate of rapid technological, cultural and
Universities” ([Link]) has grown in
economic change. A number of researchers in the field
influence and attention on many campuses. In faculty
of professionalism and skills, such as Le Boterf (2002),
terms, measurement focuses on the percentage with
share this broadened vision of the profession.
PhD’s and funding from the major granting councils.
Additional important measures for engineering might
include such things as industrial experience, [Link] 4. The Engineering Design Competency
status, and collaboration/funding relationships with
industry.
A Competent Design Engineer
A review of the literature offers many descriptions of
3. Back to Basics professional engineering competencies in general. But
what does it say about the design engineer? Is there a
Engineering Design is iterative, creative, at times both definitive list of skills, personality traits, behavior, and
analytic and synthetic, incorporates elements of a body of knowledge that sets design engineers apart
problem-solving, and incorporates intuitive as well as from other engineering practitioners?
heuristic methodologies. Design is decision-based and North American educators typically approach design as
goal-directed; designers are presented with problems a subset of skills for all engineers. However based on
motivated by human need, related to products, industrial demand (Frise 2002), there are too few
institutions that train engineers with explicit design • Rules for design analysis and design improvement
competency. such as Failure Mode Effect Analysis, product
Many engineering educators believe that students testing, process integration, etc. (Eggert 2002,
should understand how to generate design Boothroyd 1994, Zhang 1998, Lewin 2003);
specifications and how to proceed from design • Methods for creativity such as brainstorming to
specifications to a final artifact by establishing TRIZ (Frise 2002, Eggert 2002, Dieter 2000, Ertas
objectives and criteria, generating alternatives, 1996, TRIZ 2004);
synthesizing, analyzing, constructing, testing, and
• Specific technical skills with special emphasis in
evaluating (Sheppard 1999).
design, for example solid modeling techniques
(Frise 2002), computer-aided process engineering
Established Skills for Design Engineers (CAPE) (Peters 2003), computer assisted design
This review examines the skills that set design (CAD) (Davis 1996, Eggert 2002, Evatt 2001,
engineers apart from other engineering practitioners. Sorby 2000, Lewin 2003), geometric
Technical Skills dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T) (Frise
2002, Eggert 2002) and computational fluid
There is little apparent concern over the level of dynamics (CFD) (Kundu 2000, Birtigh 2000);
competency amongst design engineers in math, basic
sciences and engineering sciences (Eggert 2002, Frise • Other design knowledge including safety
2003, CCPE 2001a), although graduates have trouble methodologies (McCowan 2002, Eggert 2002,
applying those skills to proper technical design Hales 2003, Guzman 2003, Kelly 2004),
analysis (Dempster 2001). regulatory issues (Eggert 2002) and human factors
(Eggert 2002, Tolf 2003).
Experience and “Know-how”
Attitudes Toward Design Engineering
Above all other skill-level considerations, design
engineers require some level of hands-on competency Professional attitude is widely cited as a key
in the use of tools or processes relevant to their field competency for engineers in general along with the
(Frise 2002, Bell 2000, Eggert 2002, Frise 2003, ability to adapt to changes in circumstances (Frise
Hubka 1992, Evatt 2001, CCPE 2001a). These skills 2002, Wisler 2003). Design engineering practice
are lacking among North American engineering suffers from varying attitudinal pathologies. “Not-
graduates, based on the frequency with which this issue Invented-Here” attitudes (Wisler 2003), confusion of
appears in the literature. originality with creativity (Thomas 2000), notions of
design as an individual activity (Thomas 2000), and
Where design engineering skills have been identified
unwillingness to leverage the knowledge of technicians
as separate from typical engineering science, there is a
or tradesmen (Eggert 2002) are recurring problems
recurring principle of learning-by-doing (Hubka 1992).
amongst new graduates of university engineering
Experiential competency is defined as an innate ability
programs.
and as a “set of instincts about the likely consequences
of certain choices which every professional faces every Business Skills
day” (Frise 2003). Recent literature suggests novice engineers require at
Specific Design Activities least an introductory familiarity with business issues.
These skills are identified as pertinent to all engineers,
Industry and academe cite a wide range of preferences
and not just design engineers. Important business
in formal design methodologies. While each industry
issues for engineers (in general) include project
segment has its particular methods, design engineers
management skills (Eggert 2002, Lauche 2003, CCPE
should able to implement the following:
2001a, Lahidji 2000), customer awareness (Santiago
• Methods and rules for the larger design process 2001), knowledge of basic issues in business finance
including Design for X (Frise 2002, Eggert 2002, including cost of money, corporate ownership
Bajaj 2002, Oakley 1990, Boothroyd 1994, structures and liabilities (McCowan 2002, Eggert 2002,
Boothroyd 2001, Fu 2000, Gattiker 2003), Wisler 2003, CCPE 2001a), basic economic principles
identification of constraints and needs such as (Lahidji 2000), risk analysis and budgeting (Frise
QFD (Eggert 2002, Radcliffe 1994), quality 2002), social skills applicable to a multicultural
control processes such as Six Sigma or TQM business environment (Wisler 2003, Lahidji 2000),
(Frise 2002, Eggert 2002), and use of project understanding of corporate culture and the global
management structures (Frise 2002, McCowan nature of business (Frise 2002, Wisler 2003, Dempster
2002, Eggert 2002, Boothroyd 2001, Dekker 1996, 2001, Sekiguchi 2001), and appreciation for
Asbjornsen 2000, Evbuomwan 1996); intellectual property (Wisler 2003).
Communications Skills Environment and Development, 1987). CEAB
Employers expect young engineers to able to draft accreditation guidelines reinforce that knowledge of
comprehensible, compelling reports (Eggert 2002), the principles of sustainable development is essential
express themselves verbally (Frise 2002, Davis 1996, for all engineers (CEAB 2002).
Eggert 2002), listen effectively, and be able to “sell” Safety: The practice of engineering is fundamentally
concepts, products and themselves to the technically about the protection of public safety. As designers,
savvy as well as to laypeople (Davis 1996). graduating engineers should be exposed to and have
Teamwork Skills some experience with one or more of the classical
techniques to identify and reduce safety risks.
Every comprehensive list of engineering competencies
HAZOP, FMEA, and FTA are three common
includes the ability to work effectively in teams.
techniques.
Typically, teamwork skills receive highest priority
among the design engineering competency (Frise 2002, Ethics: Morrison and Hughes (2003) is a leading
Eggert 2002). Yet, despite the importance of teamwork reference on ethical aspects for Canadian Engineering
and other social skills, they are not assessed practice.
systematically in the process of educating design Codes, Laws and Regulations: Codes, laws and
engineers (Lauche 2003, Cowdroy 2002). regulations influence all engineering design. For
Lauche (2003) has surveyed several important example Workplace Hazardous Materials Information
communications and project management skills for the System (WHMIS), established in 1987, has become
design process including negotiation with clients, fully integrated into the Canadian workplace. All
problem solving, acceptance of responsibility, graduating engineers should be knowledgeable of
interpersonal skills, planning, exchanging information, WHMIS and its impact on their designs (WHMIS
coordinating activities, assessing capabilities of others, 2004).
workload management, team building and Standards: Standards are critical to many aspects of
collaboration. our lives, although this is not obvious to most. When
possible, Design Engineers should rely on standard
components to design and build complex systems.
5. Incorporating the Engineering Design They should know where to look to find standard
Competency in the Curricula of All specifications for a bolt or a pipe, and should
Engineering Disciplines customize only when necessary. Engineers should be
aware of which standards are applicable to their work,
and aware of testing and certification processes. The
This section provides perspectives on design success and the growth of the ISO 9000 series in
competency as they relate to the broad context of the quality management and the ISO 14000 series in
practice of engineering. Table 1 provides a definition environmental management means student exposure to
of the engineering design competency as applicable to these standards is important within the engineering
all disciplines. It is not expected that a single graduate curriculum.
or an engineering program would be competent in all
of the listed items. Only 2 of the Engineering Intellectual Property: Many design engineers will
Competencies in Table 1 are treated in this paper, create new intellectual property (IP) over the course of
however more details can be found in the complete their career, and will use existing intellectual property
Design Competency Document by the NSERC Chairs in the development of solutions. Engineering
in Design Engineering (2004). graduates should be aware of the various forms of
intellectual property (patents, trademarks, copyright,
Specific Knowledge in a Professional Environment and industrial designs). Most universities have an
In the words of the Canadian Council of Professional Intellectual Property office that can be an important
Engineers (CCPE 1997): Canadian engineers provide resource in support of the curriculum.
leadership to advance the quality of life through the Technologies: All graduating engineers must have
creative, responsible and progressive application of awareness and some technical understanding of a broad
engineering principles in the global context. range of technologies beyond the technologies of their
“Quality of life” is a broad term that recognizes the engineering discipline. This breadth of awareness is
importance of economics, social and environmental necessary to support the development of creative
domains that are all essential for realizing a high solutions, understanding engineering systems and
standard of living. These domains are the pillars of components, working in cross-disciplinary teams and
sustainable development (World Commission on ultimately leading larger engineering projects.
 Table 1. Proposed definition of the design engineering competency

Type Description Engineering – All disciplines

Linear algebra, Calculus, Differential Equations,

Mathematics Probability, Statistics, Numerical Methods, Partial
Differential Equations, etc.
To understand a
phenomenon, a
General
situation, a Basic Sciences Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Earth Science, etc.
knowledge
problem, a process,
etc.
Mechanics, Materials, Fluid Mechanics, Circuits,
Engineering
Thermodynamics, Heat Transfer, Mass Transfer,
Sciences
System Control, etc.
Specific To know the
knowledge in a technologies, the Technologies, standards, regulations, safety, liability, intellectual
professional rules, the standards, property, ethic, role in the society
environment the culture, etc.
To know the
Product development process, engineering design process, engineering
Knowledge of procedures, the
design tools (market research, functional analysis, QFD, design for cost
procedures methods, the
and cost estimation, etc.)
processes, etc.
To know how to use
Operational methods,
To have executed and practiced the design process
skills procedures,
technologies, etc.
Experiential To know how to use
Design by similarity, design by experience, etc.
skills tacit knowledge
To know how to
listen, to cooperate,
Teamwork, communications, leadership, negotiation, professionalism
to work in team,
etc.
Social/ Initiative, thorough, Initiative, thorough, curious, practical, humble, responsible, adaptable,
Personal skills curious, etc. confident, awareness, respectable, entrepreneurialism
To manage life
(personal and
Self-awareness, managing emotions, motivating oneself, empathy and
professional),
handling relationships
To feel (intuition,
perception, etc.)
To know your limitations, to create, to look at the big picture, to manage
To solve problem,
projects (including the system engineering perspective), to decide
Cognitive skills to design, to manage
(decision-making), to learn how to learn, to manage information and
a project, to take
knowledge, to define a problem, to define potential solutions, to learn
decisions, etc.
from past experiences, to manage resources, to take and manage risk
Knowledge of Procedures Performance Assessment against Criteria and
Constraints
Knowledge of the design process and an awareness of
the various design tools are the starting points for a Problem definition usually identifies appropriate
design competent engineer. constraints (the musts) and desired criteria (the wishes).
The constraints must each be achieved. The criteria
Design Process
are dealt with in a collective balancing act.
Knowledge of the design process should encompass Quantifying each of the identified factors eases the
how the transition is made from an idea, a vision or a subsequent decision making stage.
problem through to the technical specifications of the
Cost is always a factor in engineering design and cost
product, process, or solution. Final implementation of
estimation has become an important field on its own.
the solution is the conclusive step in the design
Cost estimation is necessary at various stages of the
process. The Design Process is described in varying
design process. Cost estimating relies on experience
detail through numerous references including Dieter
and thus depends on empirical relations. The chemical
2004, Voland 2004, Ullman 1997, and Ertas 1996.
engineering field has well developed empirical
Engineers should be well versed in the terminology relations to support cost estimating (Peters 2003). SAE
associated with the design process. Conceptual design, provides a structured format for cost estimating for the
feasibility study, preliminary design, final design, student Formula SAE competition (Bowman 2000).
detailed design, concurrent design and embodiment This format could be effectively used within
design are all terms used to describe portions of the engineering curriculum.
design process.
Environmental performance is another important
Additional knowledge includes where R&D, testing, factor. Life cycle analysis is a growing capability and
prototypes and pilot scale activities fit into the process. should be an element of all engineer’s knowledge base.
Knowledge encompasses recognition that the process
The literature on engineering design and the practice of
is usually iterative.
engineering design has introduced the use the terms:
Design tools “Design for Cost”, “Design for Reliability”, “Design
Design tools to support the design process come in for the Environment”, and others (Poli 2001, Dhillon
many forms depending on the stage of the process and 1999, Corbett 1991, Rouse 1991, USEPA 2004, NRC
on the nature of the design problem. The tools include 2004a). These collectively are increasingly referred to
people as sources for problem definition and data as “Design for X” (see DFX terminology by Migliore
gathering. Libraries (as a title encompassing all 2004). The introduction of these concepts represents
information sources) are primary tools in the early an effort to focus design attention on one particular
information gathering stage. Knowledge of this tool criterion. They imply that design attention for “X” has
must include awareness of the various types of sources been lacking. The aspect that so many “X’s” have
(textbooks, journal literature, patents, gray literature, been used reflects the design challenge of
the web, standards, codes, regulations, and people) and simultaneously optimizing numerous criteria.
the recognition that all sources are important. Decision making
Engineering drawings are essential tools for the Decisions are an integral part of the design process.
process. Sketches, generated by pencil and paper, are Many formal decisions and many more informal ones
the most frequent start to the process. Sophisticated are made throughout the process.
Computer-Aided Drawing software has become
Formal decisions are often at the conclusion of
integral to the process as a design matures. Knowledge
conceptual, preliminary and final design stages as part
means that the engineer is aware of the role of both
of recommending the next step and seeking budgetary
ends of this spectrum.
approval to proceed to the next stage. Procedures have
Engineering calculations are key tools in the design been developed to formalize this decision making
process. Back of the envelope approximations will process as part of fostering objectivity. Objectivity is
parallel the sketch drawing stage. Sophisticated important in all settings but it is particularly important
Computer-Aided Engineering software, capturing the in the public sector. The decision-matrix method is
3D and transient complexity of a system, are one common formalized approach that is a relatively
increasingly playing a role in preliminary and detailed simple to execute (Ullman 1997). However, it is
design work. Again, knowledge means that the important for students and engineers to recognize that
engineer is aware of the existence and capabilities of subjectivity quickly becomes a part of the decision-
these tools. matrix approach through selection of criteria
weightings and scoring rules.
Informal decisions are made nearly continuously in the Boothroyd, G. et al. (1994), Product Design for Manufacture and
Assembly, Marcel Dekker.
design process. Everything from assumptions made in
a detailed calculation to what options to pursue Boothroyd, G. (2001), Why DFM ?, Design Engineering, September
2001, pp.15-16.
following a brainstorming exercise. The challenge is
Bowman B.A., Farr J.V. (2000), Embedding Leadership in Civil
to make these choices consciously and as objectively Engineering Education, Journal of Professional Issues in Engineering
as possible with getting bogged down in “too much Education and Practice – Proceedings of the ASCE, 126:16-20.
analysis leads to paralysis”. Bright A., Phillips J.R. (1999), The Harvey Mudd Engineering Clinic
Decision making by consensus is an important skill to Past, Present and Future, Journal of Engineering Education, April
1999, pp. 189-194
be developed by effective teams. “It takes time, energy
CCPE (1997), A Vision for the Engineering Profession in Canada,
and skill to reach consensus but consensus decisions Canadian Council of Professional Engineers, [Link].
have a greater likelihood of being implemented by the
CCPE (2001a), 2000 Engineering Work in Canada, Sectoral Focus
team” (Levi 2001). Groups Synthesis Report, Canadian Council of Professional
Engineers, pp. 11-12
CCPE (2001b), Guideline on the Professional Engineering Practice
6. Conclusions in Canada, Canadian Council of Professional Engineers, 17p.
CCPE (2003), Canadian Engineers for Tomorrow: Trends in
Engineering Enrolment and Degrees Awarded, [Link].
The essence of profession engineering is captured in
CEAB (2002), Accreditation Criteria and Procedures 2002, Canadian
the definition of design competency. This definition is Engineering Accreditation Board.
complex and profound, yet also a living entity that
Coates J.F. (2000), Innovation in the Future of Engineering Design,
evolves alongside professional practice. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 64:121-132.
Design competency can provide the necessary Corbett J. (1991), Design for manufacture : strategies, principles and
foundation for ongoing renewal of the undergraduate techniques, Addison-Wesley, 357 p.
curriculum in engineering. To implement design Covo, D. (2003), Personal Communication, School of Architecture,
competency in current and future engineering McGill University, Montreal.
programs, a number of issues and challenges must be Cowdroy, R., Williams A. (2002), Assessing Design Activity: Issues
and Actions, Seventh International Design Conference, Dubrovnik,
addressed which may touch the very foundation of pp. 43-48.
university traditions and operations.
Davis, D.C. and al (1996), Competency-Based Engineering Design
New thinking towards engineering education, the Projects, 1996 ASEE Annual Conference.
academic system, and research and innovation may be Dekker, D. L. (1996), Difference Between Open-Ended Projects and
needed to effectively evolve Canadian engineering Design Projects, Technology Based Re-Engineering Engineering
education to a new model that will produce Education, Proceedings Frontiers in Education Conference. Vol. 3,
IEEE, Piscataway, N.J., pp. 1257-1259
engineering graduates who are design-ready innovators
Dempster, W.M. et al. (2001), Filling the gap; Engineering Design
and lifelong continuous learners with the required Analysis Within a Mechanical Engineering Curriculum, International
engineering competency. Conference on Engineering Design – ICED ’01, Glasgow, Aug. 21-
23, 2001.
Denton, H.G. (1997), Multidisciplinary team-based project work:
7. References planning factors, Design Studies, 18:155-170.
Denton, N.L., Hutzel W.J. (2003), Venturing Into Engagement, 2003
CIEC Conference, Tucson, Arizona, Jan 28-31, 2003, pp. 12-15
ABET (2001), Criteria for Accrediting Engineering Programs,
Effective for Evaluations During the 2002-2003 Accreditation Cycle, Dhillon, B.S. (1999), Design reliability: fundamentals and
Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. applications, CRC Press, 396 p.
Altan, T. (2003), Mechanical Engineering education and Research in Dieter, G.E. (2000), Engineering Design, 3rd Edition, McGraw-Hill,
US and German Universities, Workshop of the German Science 798p.
Council, Cologne, Germany. EEIC (1997), Best Practices Summary Report, Workshop on
Asbornjen, O. A., Hamann, R. J. (2000), Toward a Unified Systems Building Effective Industry/Academe Partnerships for Engineering
Engineering Education, IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man and Education Innovation, Engineering Education Innovators
Cybernetics Part C: Applications-and-Reviews, 30(2):175-182. Conference, April 7-8 1997, Arlington VA.
Bajaj, A. et al. (2002), Estimating for Design Costs, AACE- Eggert, R.J. (2002), Response tables from industry members of
International.-Transactions-of-the-Annual-Meeting. pp. EST081- ASME’s Design Engineering Division and the Manufacturing
EST086. Engineering Division − Engineering Design Education: Surveys of
Demand and Supply, Boise State University, 2002.
Bell T.E. (2000), Proven Skills: The New Yardstick for Schools,
IEEE Spectrum, 37(9). Ertas A., Jones J.C. (1996) The Engineering Design Process, 2nd
Edition, Wiley, 614p.
Birtigh A., et al. (2000), C.Y. 2000 CFD in chemical engineering
from an industrial standpoint, Chemie Ingenieur Technik, 72:175- Evatt, M.A.C. (2001), Industrial Training – More than Just Work
193. (in German) Experience?, International Conference on Engineering Design –
ICED ’01, Glasgow, Aug. 21-23, 2001.
Evbuomwan N. et al. (1996), Survey of Design Philosophies, NRC (2004b), Design for the Environment, [Link]
Models, Methods and Systems, Proceedings of the Institution of [Link]/home_e.html
Mechanical Engineers, Part-B: Journal of Engineering Manufacture. NSERC Design Engineering Group (2004), Engineering Design
210(B4):301-320. Competency, version 2 of white paper dated 24 May 2004
Frise, P.R. et al. (2002), Mechanical Engineering Skills Needs in Oakley, M., editor (1990), Design Management: A Handbook of
Canadian Industry, Annual Conference of the Canadian Society of Issues and Methods, Blackwell Reference.
Mechanical Engineers, Kingston, Ontario, 2002.
Peters, M.S., Timmerhaus, K.D., West, R.E. (2003), Plant Design
Frise, P.R. et al. (2003), Identifying the Design Body of Knowledge, and Economics for Chemical Engineers, 5th Edition, McGraw-Hill
International Conference on Engineering Design – ICED ’03,
Stockholm, Aug. 19-21, 2003. Poli C., (2001), Design for manufacturing : a structured approach,
Butterworth-Heinemann, 375p.
Fu Y. et al. (2000) Process design for the environment: A multi-
objective framework under uncertainty, Clean Products and Radcliffe, D. F., Harrison, P. (1994), Transforming Design Practice
Processes, 2:92-107. in a Small Manufacturing Enterprise, Sixth International Conference
on Design Theory and Methodology, American Society of
Gattiker T.F. (2003), A Hands-on Application for Teaching Design Mechanical Engineers, Design Engineer, 68:91-98.
for the Environment (DfE) Principles, Quality Management Journal,
10(4): 32-39. Rouse W. (1991), Design for success: a human-centered approach to
designing successful products and systems, Wiley, 287 p.
Government of Canada (2002), National Summit on Innovation and
Learning : Summary, Ottawa, 151p., [Link]. Santiago, C. (2001), The Model Engineer for GE, Proceedings of the
Conference on European Society for Engineering Education,
Grinter L.E, (1955), Summary of the Report on Evaluation of Copenhagen.
Engineering Education, Journal of Engineering Education,
September 1955, pp. 25-60 Sekiguchi, S. et al. (2001), Design Skills and Education of New
Employees, International Conference on Engineering Design – ICED
Guzman B., Vudgdelija J., (2003), Operations & maintenance - ’01, Glasgow, Aug. 21-23, 2001.
When "wait and see" isn't good enough: Applying HAZOP at
Genelba - Adapting 'hazards and operability' techniques to power Sheppard, S. D. (1999), Design as Cornerstone and Capstone,
plant operation, Modern Power Systems, October, pp.33-37. Mechanical Engineering Design, Supplement – Mechanical
Engineering, November 1999.
Hales, Crispin (2003), Respect Design or Expect Disaster !,
International Conference on Engineering Design – ICED ’03, Sorby S.A. et al. (2000), Modernization of the Mechanical
Stockholm, Aug. 19-21, 2003. Engineering Curriculum and Guidelines for Computer-Aided
Engineering Instruction, Comput. Appl. Eng. Educ., 7:252-260.
Hubka, V., Eder, W.E. (1992), Design Science (translation of
Einführung in die Konstruktionswissenschaft), Springer-Verlag, Thomas, C., Ame, E. (2000), Cultivating Design Competence:
Berlin, Heidelberg, 1992. Online Support for Beginning Design Studio, Automation in
Construction 9:83–91.
Integrated Learning Centre at Queen’s University (2004),
[Link]/ilc/ Thompson, B. E. (2001), Studio Pedagogy for Engineering Design,
Int. Journal of Engineering Education, 18(1).
Kelly G. (2004), Reducing risk and all that HAZ, Safety and Health
Practitioner, 22(3):26-31. Tolf, Y. et al. (2003c), Human-Centred Engineers − A Model for
Holistic Interdisciplinary Communication and Professional Practice,
Kundu A.K., Raghunathan S. (2000), A Proposition in Design International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics, March 1, 2003,
Education with a Potential in Commercial Venture in Small Aircraft 31(3):195-202.
Manufacture, Aircraft Design, 3:261-273.
TRIZ (2004), Theory of Inventive Problem Solving Journal,
Lahidji, B. (2000), Competencies in Manufacturing Engineering [Link].
Technology Programs from Employer’s Point of View, Proceedings
of the 33rd Annual NAIT Conference. Ullman D.G. (1997), The Mechanical Design Process, 2nd Edition,
McGraw-Hill, 340p.
Lauche, K. (2003), Non-Technical Skills Training for Designers,
International Conference on Engineering Design – ICED ’03, USEPA (2004), US Environmental Protection Agency, Design for
Stockholm, Aug. 19-21, 2003. the Environment, [Link]
Le Boterf, G. (2002), Développer la compétence des Voland G. (2004), Engineering by Design, 2nd Edition, Pearson
professionnelles – Construire les parcours de professionnalisation, 4e Prentice Hall, 610p.
édition, Éditions d’Organisation, 312p. WHMIS (2004), [Link]/hecs-sesc/whmis/[Link]
Levi D. (2001), Group Dynamics for Teams, Sage Publishers Inc., Wisler, D. C. (2003), Engineering — What You Don't Necessarily
362p. Learn in School, Mechanical Engineering Design, Supplemen of
Lewin, D.R. et al. (2002), Integrated process design instruction, Mechanical Engineering, August 2003.
Computers and Chemical Engineering, 26:295-306. World Commission on Environment and Development (1987), Our
McCowan, J. D. and Knapper C.K. (2002), An Integrated and Common Future, Oxford University Press, 400p.
Comprehensive Approach to Engineering Curricula, Part One: Zhang, G. (1998), Information-Based Engineering Design and the
Objectives and General Approach, International Journal of ABET 2000, Proceedings of the 1998 28th Annual Frontiers in
Engineering Education, 18(6):633-637. Education Conference, FIE. Part 2. Tempe, Arizona.
Migliore H. (2004), Design for X,
[Link]/~herm/capstone/mee9899/design/dfx/[Link]
m
Morrison C. and Hughes P. (2003), Professional Engineering
Practice: Ethical Aspects, 3rd Edition, McGraw-Hill, 189p.
NRC (2004a), Canadian Codes Centre, [Link]
[Link]/codes/home_E.shtml.