Key Idea.
Section 1
Engineers Define Project Goals
Before building anything, engineers must establish design criteria. These are the specific standards that a successful solution must meet. For the FuturaBar, the criteria include nutritional value, taste, and low cost.
These goals act as a checklist. Throughout the design process, engineers reference the criteria to ensure their product is on the right track to solving the problem.
Section 2
Solving Community Problems
Engineering is often about helping people. An engineering problem is a challenge faced by a community that requires a designed solution.
In this case, the problem is providing food to people in disaster zones. The solution is a new product: a shelf-stable health bar. Engineers apply science to create a product that meets the specific needs of this crisis.
Section 3
Balancing Competing Goals
Design criteria often conflict with each other. For example, making a bar that is very nutritious might make it taste bad or cost too much. These are competing goals.
Engineers must navigate these conflicts. They often have to make a trade-off, accepting a compromise in one area to ensure the product is successful in another more important area.
Book overview
Jump across lessons in the current chapter without opening the full course modal.
Continue this chapter
Expand to review the lesson summary and core properties.
Section 1
Engineers Define Project Goals
Before building anything, engineers must establish design criteria. These are the specific standards that a successful solution must meet. For the FuturaBar, the criteria include nutritional value, taste, and low cost.
These goals act as a checklist. Throughout the design process, engineers reference the criteria to ensure their product is on the right track to solving the problem.
Section 2
Solving Community Problems
Engineering is often about helping people. An engineering problem is a challenge faced by a community that requires a designed solution.
In this case, the problem is providing food to people in disaster zones. The solution is a new product: a shelf-stable health bar. Engineers apply science to create a product that meets the specific needs of this crisis.
Section 3
Balancing Competing Goals
Design criteria often conflict with each other. For example, making a bar that is very nutritious might make it taste bad or cost too much. These are competing goals.
Engineers must navigate these conflicts. They often have to make a trade-off, accepting a compromise in one area to ensure the product is successful in another more important area.
Book overview
Jump across lessons in the current chapter without opening the full course modal.
Continue this chapter