Summary
Inventing is rarely as quick as turning on a light bulb—just ask Thomas Edison! While Edison didn't invent the first light bulb, he improved on the design to make it practical for everyday use. And he did it by following the engineering design process (EDP). That's a series of steps used to solve problems, and anyone can learn it! Whether you're designing a world-changing product or fine-tuning your daily routine, inventions almost never come on the first try. It takes plenty of iteration, or repeating the design process over and over, to create an ideal solution. The process can be broken down in different ways, but it always involves identifying a problem; imagining a solution; planning, creating, and testing a prototype; and improving it. And remember—repeat as many times as necessary! Ready to make your own invention? Click "play" to get the process started.
Viewer safety
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Teaching resources
Discussion questions
A few questions to talk through after watching Engineering Design Process:
- What is one new thing you learned about engineering design process?
- Can you explain it to a partner in your own words?
- Where might you see this in the real world?
- What is one question you still have?
Quick work-a-long
Try it:
- Write one sentence explaining engineering design process.
- Draw or give one example of your own.