Frequently Asked Questions
Why should I take this course?
What are the prerequisites?
Is this a new course? What are past experiences of students?
How is this course different from ME 450?
Do I need ME Undergraduate Advisor approval?
What about other prerequisites not listed? Like Math?
What if I am not an ME student?
What if I am a graduate student?
Can I take the course for 3 credits if I am a senior?
Is it more, or less, work than ME 450?
How large will the class be?
What projects can I do?
How do we select projects and are they sponsored?
Will we use the prototyping shops?
Will we have a project budget?
Will we use software tools?
What will make a successful project?
Why should I take this course?
You should consider taking this course if you are a senior or graduate student in any feld of engineering interested in the design of products that interact with people. If you want to take a serious look at methods from fields other than engineering (like art, industrial design, ergonomics, marketing, economics, and psychology) and explore how they can be used in the design process, that's a course for you.
If you are not an engineering student and want to learn more about the engineering approach to design and work with engineers in a design team constibuting your own disciplinary skills, you are welcome to join the course. [GoToTop]
What are the prerequisites?
Senior standing (or graduate standing for DESCI 501). Seniors can take the course as a 4-credit alternative to ME 450, which means you must satisfy the same prerequisites as for ME 450, i.e., ME 250, 350, 395. You can also take it as a 3-credit tech elective or grad credit (see more below). You can also take it as ARTDES 300 if you are an ARTDES student with senior standing.
Note:
A junior in Art & Design may be permitted to enroll if two criteria are satisfied: (i) He/she is sufficiently qualified due to past design experience and good grades, and (ii) no senior who wishes to be in the course is left out (enrollment limit is 10). To see if you satisfy the first criterion please contact Prof. Jan-Henrik Anderson (janhande) and I will follow his recommendation.[GoToTop]
Is this a new course? What are past experiences of students?
It was taught in F2003, F2004, and F2005 as ME499. The permanent numbers ME 455 and DESCI 501 were used in F2006 for the first time. Students outside engineering have been part of the class in all of the past years. Student evaluations have been consistently high. In Fall 2005 the ME seniors gave it a 5.0/5.0 evaluation for "excellent course/excellent instructor." [GoToTop]
How is this course different from ME 450?
For mechanical engineering seniors the course offers a ”senior capstone design experience” similar to that in ME 450. However, it emphasizes an analytical approach to design that encompasses tools from non-engineering disciplines that bear on design. Also, prototyping work is done earlier in the semester, so that the lessons learned from physical prototyping can be used along with analysis to inform the final design decisions and/or develop more detailed final virtual prototypes. Another difference is that the projects deal with designs of products rather than pure mechanical systems like, say, engines. For art&design seniors the course also offers an opportunity to be team members along with engineering and other students and to understand the engineering and business perspectives of design. For other engineering seniors the course may be an elective and may satisfy the capstone requirement as dectated by their home department rules.
For graduate students this is a "complete" design experience. [GoToTop]
Do I need ME Undergraduate Advisor approval?
The ME UG Advisor needs to make sure you have met the ME450 prerequisites if you wish to take this course as an alternative to ME450, since then it will count as a core course. That's it. [GoToTop]
What about other prerequisites not listed? Like Math?
The course uses analytical modeling methods from decision analysis, engineering science, economics, human factors, and marketing. You do not need background in all these areas, but you need the basic math that engineers learn in freshman and sophomore years. Some statistics would be useful, too, but you can pick it up as the methods are discussed. Art & Design students may not satisfy the math prerequisites, which is why they get ARTDES credit. Graduate students from other disciplines can enroll under DESCI 501 and consult with the instructor. [GoToTop]
What if I am not an ME student?
The course is open to all seniors and graduate students in engineering, and other areas outside engineering, like Art & Design, Information Science, and Architecture. Such students are welcome and provide diversity in the project team composition. Allowances will need to be made for such diversity of backgrounds when teams are formed. Contact the instructor directly for more questions on this. [GoToTop]
What if I am a graduate student?
Any graduate student (ME or otherwise) can enroll in DESCI 501 for 3 credits. You will do the same project work, plus some extras, like developing a specific design tool, instead of just using what is learned in class. [GoToTop]
Can I take the course for 3 credits if I am a senior?
Yes, you can take it as a tech elective for 3 credits. The main reason you would want to do that is if you have already taken ME 450, in which case the extra credit is counted as “overlap” and not allowed. Also, if you wish to take ME 450 in the future you can register for only three credits but you would still need to do all the work, so this is not usually an attractive option. Non-ME seniors can take ME 455 for 4 credits. [GoToTop]
Is it more, or less, work than ME 450?
The amount of work is the same. [GoToTop]
How large will the class be?
We have put a limit of 35 for ME 455, 12 for DESCI 501, and 10 for ARTDES 300. In past years the typical total class size is about 35-40 students, organized in 10 design teams.[GoToTop]
What projects can I do?
Projects must have a direct relation to an intended product user and a product producer, who will inform design decisions. For example, if you are interested in designing a valvetrain for an engine, this would probably not be a suitable class. Past projects include helmets, medical devices, health products, solar and fuel cell systems for buildings, assistive devices for special population groups, can openers, cribs, car seats, cup-holders and more. An automotive clutch might be a suitable project if you want to include designing for the right “feel,” cost, and market. [GoToTop]
How do we select projects and are they sponsored?
You will be asked to form teams based on your common interests and complementary skills. You will not be assigned a sponsored project. Although there may be some sponsored projects, you can select your own project idea, as long as there is a team that wants to do it and it fits into the course goals and philosophy. You can also seek sponsorship for your own idea. Contact the instructor for advice on that. Project ideas can be developed through the summer. You can visit the course CTools site once you are registered.
In Fall 2007 some projects will be especially sponsored on an environmental sustainability theme. [GoToTop]
Will we use the prototyping shops?
Yes, the usual ME machine shops and prototyping space will be available. You will need the usual shop safety certification before you are allowed in the shops. [GoToTop]
Will we have a project budget?
Yes, and it will be the same for all projects, whether they are sponsored or not. [GoToTop]
Will we use software tools?
Yes, typically Excel has been the basic environment. However, MATLAB, various CAE tools, and statistical analysis packages have been used in the past.
In Fall 2007 we will introduce special design integration commercial tools, particulalrly to support integration of CAE and other analysis software. [GoToTop]
What will make a successful project?
The final deliverable is an actual business plan grounded on a semester's worth of analysis, user surveys, prototyping, and computing. If you can show whether a compelling case can be made to produce (or not produce) the product, you have succeeded. [GoToTop]