Syeed Khandani's Engineering Design Process, Revisited

In the article Engineering Design Process, Khandani states that the five major processes are: "defining the problem", "gathering information", "generating multiple solutions", "analyze and select a solution", and finally "analyzing and implementing the solution". He asserts that every process for innovation bank on these five factors.

In the first writing assignment, we have looked at how some problems in our home country may significantly hamper Engineering Design Process for innovations. We focused primarily on these five processes, and listed how domestic limitations may affect each of these stages from being fully realized (i.e. put into action).

But before we go on, we need to holistically consider whether true engineering can actually be reduced into such an idealistic statement.

We know that true engineering is practised. While the above five statements may conceptualize the major hurdles to overcome during the process, these statements do not fully reflect the full process of engineering design. In reality, most engineers are actually plauged by another series of much pettier problems during the design process. Examples of which include deadlines, funding, collaboration (failure), profits and personal interest. These problems are usually social, economic and psychological in nature, yet they too do greatly contribute to the engineering design process.

In the guest presentation given 28th August 2009, one of the presenters stated that engineering is not 'all between man and machine'. Rather, our present engineering success was built out of a tension of 'contingency and compromise' from the past. Compromise not only between man and truth (technological knowledge advancement), but also between man and himself (psychology), man and society, man and ethics, and ultimately man and his ideals.

There is a saying that "should man truly wish to improve his current deposition (either technologically via engineering or spiritually via metaphysical enlightenment), the three primary areas to work on shoild be in the domains of Truth, Goodness and Beauty.". Indeed, while we strive twards a greater knowledge of the objective truth and towards the beauty of the improved life, we cannot compromise Goodness (ethics, especially in the field of bioengineering) for aesthetics. Neither can we disregard our needs for survival (wages), nor the true aims of engineering for our fellow men.

Engineering, as I believe, is more than just another set of skills to master or understand. And while the above five processes do justify the main concerns of engineering, we still have to bear in mind that such concerns are not exhaustive. To the technicalities of engineering must be added the philosophy, and the implications of engineering. Then can we holistically realize engineering as it truly is.