At the same time, companies like Boeing and professional organizations like the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology have taken an aggressive stand as to what they need and expect from engineering graduates. Engineering schools across the country are engaged in excellent design experiments. The selected examples are presented so that readers can gain a better understanding of the changes in design education and see an opportunity to get involved, and so that those who are directly responsible for teaching mechanical engineering design may find a few new ideas. Engineering design education is generally focused on helping students develop into effective design practitioners. Design, in this general sense, is what engineers do most of their waking, professional hours.
Design engages both the intellect and the imagination of the designer.
Many of the qualities that an engineer needs in order to work as an effective mechanical designer are listed in Table 1. Each quality is comprised of competencies and attitudes. Competencies are the skills necessary to carry out the mechanics of a particular quality. A skilled design engineer knows how and when to draw upon the qualities in Table 1 to move the process forward. The quality of the student-created artifact is often less important than the student's understanding of the process by which the artifact was designed and created.