Investigation

Various stages of the design process (and even before) can involve a significant amount of time spent locating information and research.[5] Consideration should be given to existing applicable literature, problems and successes associated with existing solutions, costs, and market needs.

The source of information must be relevant. Reverse engineering can be an effective technique if other solutions are available on the market.[5] Other sources of information include the Internet, local libraries, available government documents, personal organizations, trade magazines), vendor catalogs, and available individual experts.

Design requirements

Establishing design requirements and performing requirements analysis, sometimes called problem definition (or considered a related activity), is one of the most important elements in the design process,[6]​ and this task is often performed at the same time as a feasibility analysis. Design requirements control the design of the product or process being developed, throughout the engineering design process. These include basic things like functions, attributes and specifications, determined after evaluating user needs. Some design requirements include hardware and software parameters, maintainability, availability, and testability.[2]​.

Feasibility

In some cases, a feasibility study is carried out, after which schedules, resource plans and estimates for the next phase are developed. The feasibility study is an evaluation and analysis of the potential of a proposed project to support the decision-making process. Describes and analyzes alternatives or methods to achieve the desired result. The feasibility study helps narrow down the scope of the project to identify the best scenario. A feasibility report is generated after which Post Feasibility Review is carried out.

The purpose of a feasibility evaluation is to determine whether the engineer's project can proceed to the design phase. This is based on two criteria: the project must be based on an achievable idea and it must be within cost limitations. It is important to have engineers with experience and good judgment participate in this part of the feasibility study.[2]​.

Concept generation

A concept study (conceptualization, conceptual design") is often a phase of project planning that includes producing ideas and considering the pros and cons of implementing those ideas. This stage of a project is performed to minimize the probability of error, manage costs, evaluate risks, and evaluate the potential success of the intended project. In any case, once an engineering problem or problem is defined, possible solutions must be identified. These solutions can be found using ideation, the mental process by which ideas are generated. In fact, this step is often called Ideation or "Concept Generation". The following are widely used techniques:[2]​.

• - Activation word: a word or phrase associated with the topic in question is indicated and subsequent words and phrases are evoked.

• - Morphological analysis:&action=edit&redlink=1 "Morphological analysis (problem solving) (not yet written)") independent design features are listed in a graph and different engineering solutions are proposed for each solution. Normally, a preliminary sketch and a brief report accompany the morphological table.

• - Synectics: the engineer imagines himself as the element and asks: "What would I do if I were the system?" This unconventional method of thinking can find a solution to the problem at hand. The vital aspects of the conceptualization step is synthesis. Synthesis is the process of taking the element of the concept and organizing it in the appropriate way. The creative process of synthesis is present in each design.

• - Brainstorming: This popular method involves thinking about different ideas, usually as part of a small group, and adopting these ideas in some form as a solution to the problem.

Various generated ideas must then go through a concept evaluation step, which uses various tools to compare and contrast the relative strengths and weaknesses of potential alternatives.

Preliminary design

Preliminary design, or high-level design (also called FEED or basic design), often bridges a gap between design conception and detailed design, particularly in cases where the level of conceptualization achieved during ideation is not sufficient for full evaluation. So, in this task, the overall configuration of the system is defined and the project schematics, diagrams and layouts can provide early configuration of the project. (This varies greatly by field, industry, and product.) During detailed design and optimization, the parameters of the part being created will change, but preliminary design focuses on creating the overall framework on which to build the project.[2]​.

S. Blanchard and J. Fabrycky describe it as:.

Detailed design

After the FEED is the Detailed Design (Detailed Engineering) phase, which may also consist of the acquisition of materials. This phase further elaborates each aspect of the project/product through a complete description through solid models, drawings and specifications.

Computer-aided design (CAD) programs have made the detailed design phase more efficient. For example, a CAD program may offer optimization "Optimization (mathematical)") to reduce volume without affecting the quality of a part. You can also calculate the stress and displacement "Displacement (vector)") using the finite element method to determine the stresses throughout the part.[7]​.

Production planning

Production planning and tooling design involves planning how to mass produce the product and what tools should be used in the manufacturing process. Tasks to complete in this step include selecting materials, selecting production processes, determining the sequence of operations, and selecting tools such as jigs, fixtures, metal cutting, and metal or plastic forming tools. This task also involves additional prototype testing iterations to ensure that the mass-produced version meets qualification testing standards.[2]​.

Investigation

Various stages of the design process (and even before) can involve a significant amount of time spent locating information and research.[5] Consideration should be given to existing applicable literature, problems and successes associated with existing solutions, costs, and market needs.

The source of information must be relevant. Reverse engineering can be an effective technique if other solutions are available on the market.[5] Other sources of information include the Internet, local libraries, available government documents, personal organizations, trade magazines), vendor catalogs, and available individual experts.

Design requirements

Establishing design requirements and performing requirements analysis, sometimes called problem definition (or considered a related activity), is one of the most important elements in the design process,[6]​ and this task is often performed at the same time as a feasibility analysis. Design requirements control the design of the product or process being developed, throughout the engineering design process. These include basic things like functions, attributes and specifications, determined after evaluating user needs. Some design requirements include hardware and software parameters, maintainability, availability, and testability.[2]​.

Feasibility

In some cases, a feasibility study is carried out, after which schedules, resource plans and estimates for the next phase are developed. The feasibility study is an evaluation and analysis of the potential of a proposed project to support the decision-making process. Describes and analyzes alternatives or methods to achieve the desired result. The feasibility study helps narrow down the scope of the project to identify the best scenario. A feasibility report is generated after which Post Feasibility Review is carried out.

The purpose of a feasibility evaluation is to determine whether the engineer's project can proceed to the design phase. This is based on two criteria: the project must be based on an achievable idea and it must be within cost limitations. It is important to have engineers with experience and good judgment participate in this part of the feasibility study.[2]​.

Concept generation

A concept study (conceptualization, conceptual design") is often a phase of project planning that includes producing ideas and considering the pros and cons of implementing those ideas. This stage of a project is performed to minimize the probability of error, manage costs, evaluate risks, and evaluate the potential success of the intended project. In any case, once an engineering problem or problem is defined, possible solutions must be identified. These solutions can be found using ideation, the mental process by which ideas are generated. In fact, this step is often called Ideation or "Concept Generation". The following are widely used techniques:[2]​.

• - Activation word: a word or phrase associated with the topic in question is indicated and subsequent words and phrases are evoked.

• - Morphological analysis:&action=edit&redlink=1 "Morphological analysis (problem solving) (not yet written)") independent design features are listed in a graph and different engineering solutions are proposed for each solution. Normally, a preliminary sketch and a brief report accompany the morphological table.

• - Synectics: the engineer imagines himself as the element and asks: "What would I do if I were the system?" This unconventional method of thinking can find a solution to the problem at hand. The vital aspects of the conceptualization step is synthesis. Synthesis is the process of taking the element of the concept and organizing it in the appropriate way. The creative process of synthesis is present in each design.

• - Brainstorming: This popular method involves thinking about different ideas, usually as part of a small group, and adopting these ideas in some form as a solution to the problem.

Various generated ideas must then go through a concept evaluation step, which uses various tools to compare and contrast the relative strengths and weaknesses of potential alternatives.

Preliminary design

Preliminary design, or high-level design (also called FEED or basic design), often bridges a gap between design conception and detailed design, particularly in cases where the level of conceptualization achieved during ideation is not sufficient for full evaluation. So, in this task, the overall configuration of the system is defined and the project schematics, diagrams and layouts can provide early configuration of the project. (This varies greatly by field, industry, and product.) During detailed design and optimization, the parameters of the part being created will change, but preliminary design focuses on creating the overall framework on which to build the project.[2]​.

S. Blanchard and J. Fabrycky describe it as:.

Detailed design

After the FEED is the Detailed Design (Detailed Engineering) phase, which may also consist of the acquisition of materials. This phase further elaborates each aspect of the project/product through a complete description through solid models, drawings and specifications.

Computer-aided design (CAD) programs have made the detailed design phase more efficient. For example, a CAD program may offer optimization "Optimization (mathematical)") to reduce volume without affecting the quality of a part. You can also calculate the stress and displacement "Displacement (vector)") using the finite element method to determine the stresses throughout the part.[7]​.

Production planning

Production planning and tooling design involves planning how to mass produce the product and what tools should be used in the manufacturing process. Tasks to complete in this step include selecting materials, selecting production processes, determining the sequence of operations, and selecting tools such as jigs, fixtures, metal cutting, and metal or plastic forming tools. This task also involves additional prototype testing iterations to ensure that the mass-produced version meets qualification testing standards.[2]​.