2020 Faculty Courses School of Engineering Undergraduate major in Mechanical Engineering
Design Engineering
- Academic unit or major
- Undergraduate major in Mechanical Engineering
- Instructor(s)
- Shigeki Saito / Takako Yoshida / Kazuaki Inaba / Yuki Taoka
- Class Format
- Lecture
- Media-enhanced courses
- -
- Day of week/Period
(Classrooms) - 7-8 Thu (I3-201A，C)
- Class
- -
- Course Code
- MEC.H231
- Number of credits
- 100
- Course offered
- 2020
- Offered quarter
- 4Q
- Syllabus updated
- Jul 10, 2025
- Language
- Japanese
Syllabus
Course overview and goals
The focus of this course is the integration of design and engineering in creating new products.
The course is about experiencing the process of developing new product ideas, improving design skills, and learning methods for human-centered innovation.
This course includes
1. the design process of a new product
2. the ability to identify a design problem
3. creative-thinking techniques
4. user research methods
5. how design can impact people, society and environment.
Course description and aims
By the end of the course, students will be able :
1. to develop an understanding of the design process of a new product
2. to improve the ability to identify a design problem
3. to learn creative-thinking techniques
4. to learn user research methods
5. to appreciate how design can impact people, society and environment
This subject corresponds to learn the objectives
6. Advanced professional skills in Mechanical Engineering
7. Ability to make use of expertise to solve new problems and make creative proposals
in undergraduate study guide.
Keywords
design engineering, design process, design thinking, creativity, user research
Competencies
- Specialist skills
- Intercultural skills
- Communication skills
- Critical thinking skills
- Practical and/or problem-solving skills
Class flow
The class will consist in lectures that students will apply to a design project. Students will report their progress in the design process in a "design notebook". At the end of the course, students will give a presentation of their design process and design outcome.
Project-type team work: Based on a design brief, groups of 5-6 students will re-frame the problem, conduct user research and imagine a design concept. They will be asked to create representations of their ideas, through prototypes, and to demonstrate the scenario of its usage.
Course schedule/Objectives
| Course schedule | Objectives | |
|---|---|---|
| Class 1 | Introduction to Engineering Design and presentation of the design project (theme, schedule and evaluation) | Understand the role and significance of Engineering Design in technological innovation |
| Class 2 | The design process of a new product (Design Thinking Approach) | Explore the design process of a new product, especially the methods and tools of Design Thinking approach |
| Class 3 | The ability to identify a design problem (Product planning, customers needs identification, product specifications) | Understand how to identify a design problem, especially how to collect customers needs |
| Class 4 | Creative-thinking techniques (System engineering, functional analysis and product architecture) | Learn creative-thinking techniques, especially how to describe a system and product architecture |
| Class 5 | Creative-thinking techniques (Creativity and conceptual design, prototyping) | Learn creative-thinking techniques, especially techniques for ideation and creativity |
| Class 6 | User research methods (Ergonomics and usability testing) | Learn user research methods, especially methods and tools for ergonomics and usability tests |
| Class 7 | How design can impact people, society and environment (Communicating design outcomes) | Give a presentation of design process and design outcomes by considering how design can impact people, society and environment |
Study advice (preparation and review)
To enhance effective learning, students are encouraged to spend approximately 100 minutes preparing for class and another 100 minutes reviewing class content afterwards (including assignments) for each class.
They should do so by referring to textbooks and other course material.
Textbook(s)
ENGINEERING DESIGN, A PROJECT-BASED INTRODUCTION (2013) C. Dym, P. Little, E. Orwin. Ed. Wiley. 4th Edition.
UNIVERSAL METHODS OF DESIGN (2012) B. Martin, B. Hanington. Ed. Rockport
プロダクトデザイン 商品開発に関わるすべての人へ (2009) Japan Industrial Designer's Association (JIDA). Collective. ワークスコーポレーション Eds.
Reference books, course materials, etc.
All materials will be available on OCW and so on.
Evaluation methods and criteria
- Report & design notebook: 50 % (individual)
- Final presentation: 40 % (team)
- Contribution to team activity: 10 % (individual)
Related courses
- MEC.Q301 ： Creative Design of Mechanical Systems
Prerequisites
The number of students may be limited due to the space of the lecture room.