PROJECT SELECTION & DESIGN

Selection of a project topic is done effectively and efficiently by applying the right design
process.
Design is a process of devising a system component or process to meet desired needs.
It is an iterative decision making in which the basic sciences, the mathematics and
engineering sciences are applied to convert resources optimally to reach the stated
objective.
Design process has the following twelve steps1. Identification of a need.
2. Defining the problem.
3. Search.
4. Constraints.
5. Criteria.
6. Alternative solutions.
7. Analysis.
8. Decision.
9. Specification.
10.Communication.
11.Planning.
12.Execution of the project

NEED
Need is the mother of invention without need one cannot make his brain think
about any project activity.
Need could be defined from the general or specific knowledge of an essential
requirement of an individual of the society or the industry. For example when you go to
petrol filling station you might have many times thought about the rising cost of fuel,
many times you might have thought about the shortage and availability of the fuel. This
should immediately spark a thought in the mind of a young Engineer or scientist to think
of producing energy by some other means/fuel than the fossil fuels that we use today.
You may identify the need in two forms (a) New product required (b) New process is
required.

PROBLEM DEFINITION

Once you are able to identify a need you may proceed to the next step to define the
problem. Defining the problem is not something complex. Writing down the need
sometimes itself is the definition of the problem. In the case of the fuel that we have
discussed, you may think of writing down the problem as follows- What is the possibility
that a vegetable oil (that comes from plants and which is renewable) could be used for
running our automobile engines?