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Welcome to Real World Considerations in Engineering Design!

“At its heart, engineering is about using science to find creative, practical solutions. It is a noble profession.” – Queen Elizabeth II

Noble as it may be, engineering comes with its complications because it is by its nature, so practical.
    Well done design grounded in solid science is a great foundation to great engineering, but is only part of the overall equation for success. This suite of educational materials considers some of the real world issues that can submarine engineering design or merit some consideration as engineering designs proceed through initial and subsequent design cycles to product development.

    Whether it’s a concern for the environment or the environment impacting the design…

    Whether it’s a concern for workers in the supply chain or customers limiting the design…

    Whether it’s an issue of fair trade or of establishing fair price and cost...

    Join us as we explore multiple real world considerations that are part of engineering design.

    Explore More:
    Engineering Standards – covering voluntary standards established by professional trade and other organizations as well as laws, codes, and regulations that support safe and successful integration of engineering and product designs into society.

    Environmental Constraints in Engineering Design — including air, water, and other regulations that limit how much a product can contaminate the natural environment as well as operating parameters that influence product performance.

    Environmental Consequences of Engineering Design — including natural resource extraction, product manufacturing, transport, product use, and disposal/recycling.

    Social Constraints in Engineering Design — including case studies of products that flopped because of failing to anticipate what consumers will not buy and why.

    Social Consequences of Engineering Design — including examples of how corporate responsibility extends not only to the supply chain but to employees and other local communities too.

    Economic Constraints in Engineering Design – focused on identifying a reasonable price point for a product and cost-pricing the design from the very beginning of the engineering design process.

    Economic Consequences of Engineering Design – exploring concepts of fair trade, fair wages, and fair value to ensure that both workers in the supply chain as well as end customers are treated fairly.


    Acknowledgements:
    This work was funded in part by the National Science Foundation (DUE-1245464). Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.