Five steps of engineering design – building a phone stand

Design & TechnologyEngineering Drawing & DesignAges 13–14

Walk through all five steps of the engineering design process for a simple product: defining the problem and criteria, proposing and selecting a solution, building a prototype, testing the solution, and preparing technical documentation. At the testing step, the student clicks Test Load to place an object on the prototype: the simulation checks the tipping condition based on the centre of mass relative to the base length, and calculates the bending stress σ = M/W at the support leg to compare with the material's allowable stress. If it fails, the student clicks Improve to lengthen the base and try again — reflecting how design is an iterative process.