1. Engineering is "the profession in which a knowledge of the mathematical and natural sciences... is applied with judgment to develop ways to use economically the materials and forces of nature for the benefit of mankind" (en.wiktionary.com). There are many, many, many different branches of engineering including: aerospace, agricultural, biomedical, chemical, civil, computer, software, electrical, environmental, fire protection, genetic, industrial, instrumentation, materials, mechanical, manufacturing, mining, naval, nuclear, structural, transportation... and many more. And these all have subspecialties which are large areas in their own right. What is an Engineer? An engineer is someone who practices engineering. Duh. Minnesota Transportation Museum http://www.mtmuseum.org/

2. One View of the Engineering Design Process http://www.doe.mass.edu/frameworks/scitech/2001/standards/strand4.html

3. Another View of the Engineering Design Process ASK: What is the problem? What have others done? What are the constraints? IMAGINE: What are some solutions? Brainstorm ideas. Choose the best one. PLAN: Draw a diagram. Make lists of materials you will need. CREATE: Follow your plan and create it. Test it out! IMPROVE: Talk about what works, what doesn't, and what could work better. Modify your design to make it better. Test it out! Engineering is Elementary, http://www.mos.org/eie/

4. Some Design Considerations How long will it take to design and manufacture? How much will it cost to make? How much can we charge for it? Can we sell enough to recover the development costs? How well does it have to work? Is it aesthetically pleasing? How hard is it to manufacture? Does it require expensive materials? Are there supply chain concerns? How hard is it to test? How reliable will it be? How long should it last? Does it need to be easy to repair? Is it expensive to ship? How much power does it consume? Environmental lifecycle: What are the environmental impacts of manufacturing it? Using it? Disposing of it? Are there ethical/social/cultural issues? Is it safe? Are there liability issues? Will it be expensive to support? How does it compare with the alternatives? (that is, the competition... )