Design engineers, from what I have learned, are a combination of engineering and
design philosophy in order to make better products and innovations for people. This can be a
new invention altogether, or the modification of an existing idea to improve quality of life. Just
like in business, the idea is supply and demand, but in this case whether or not there is a
solution to the problem.
From the videos, the discipline came to be as a combination of creativity and the rigor
found in the engineering approach. It serves as a way in college to get a hands on project that
makes a difference and gives the alumni a real experience with development and work in the
industries they have ahead of them, and offers skills that will be very useful later in life.
A core part of being a design engineer is the mindset. Gaining a different perspective
helps with solving problems and figuring out what you can do to create valuable products that
the people want or need, starting with finding an issue the designer has with an existing product
or hurdle. Understanding this frustration gives direction and drive to create better designs and
products. The goal of all products is for them to be user friendly, and to be convenient and a
genuine help. Thinking outside of the box is important for this. Sometimes the solution is in the
strangest spot. While I had thought about all of these ideas separately, I had never taken the
time to put them all together. And the idea of using frustration as a motivator is interesting to me.
Another important thing to focus on for design engineers is qualitative thinking versus
quantitative thinking. While quantitative analysis can work(simulations for example) and can be
exact, they may have issues being set up and may be difficult to adjust. But compare it to
qualitative analysis, where a more creative approach is taken that can, if done correctly, be
easier to adjust, is easier to do, and achieves a result faster. The video that talks about this also
makes a very interesting analogy of engineering to hunting, from working in a party, choosing
the more crazy but rewarding ideas for targets, to going out to different locations and using
different strategies to find game, never expecting them in the same spot. It was an interesting
perspective and something I wanted to listen more about. I am glad that I did.
Considering these factors, a design engineer is where art and science collide, and such
a team member could be valuable in product design and problem solving. And considering all of
this, I believe it is something I might like to look into.