About This Engineering Design Process Tool
The engineering design process is not something you learn once and master — it is something you live through, refine, and rebuild across every project you lead. This interactive tool grew out of 22 years working in engineering project management: watching teams skip critical steps under deadline pressure, seeing brilliant ideas fail at the prototype stage because requirements were never properly defined, and recognising that even experienced engineers benefit from a structured, visual reminder of how the process is meant to work.
The tool is designed for engineers, students, and educators who want more than a static diagram. It walks through eight core phases — from problem definition through to communication and documentation — with expandable detail, a knowledge quiz, and a project checklist you can use in active work.
Built on reputable sources
The engineering design process content draws directly from peer-reviewed and institutional material, including MIT OpenCourseWare (Engineering Innovation & Design and LL EduCATE courses), MIT Professional Education, ScienceDirect’s engineering design literature, TeachEngineering, and ScienceBuddies. Where specific insights are attributed, the source is identified within the tool itself.
Still under construction
This resource is actively being developed. Planned additions include worked case studies drawn from real project scenarios, downloadable templates aligned to each phase, and deeper guidance on tools such as decision matrices and morphological analysis. If a phase feels thin or a source is missing, that is intentional for now — depth will be added in stages.
Your feedback matters for this engineering design process tool
If you use this tool in teaching, in a team setting, or just as a personal reference, I would genuinely welcome your thoughts. What is useful? What is missing? What would make it more practical for the work you do? You can reach me through the contact page — every message is read.
This tool is a reflection of what I wish had existed earlier in my career: a single, well-sourced, interactive reference that treats the engineering design process not as a textbook exercise but as a living, iterative discipline that sits at the heart of every project worth building.
