• Establishing what REALLY needs to be solved
• Formulating the main goal
• (Re)framing the problem scope
• Project Plan
• Project Requirements
• Standards, Codes, Regulations

The key objective of the undertaking may not always be obvious, and may necessitate reframing. So instead of ‘design a new bridge’ we may ask whether ‘getting to the other side of the river’ is not what is really required.

A detailed Project Plan with a comprehensive Project Requirements document will establish critical path for the completion of the project.

• How does the whole ‘thing’ work?
• Looking at the issues from the systemic viewpoint
• Identifying fundamental problem situations
• Creating a high-level abstracted model of the whole system
• Devising a strategy to achieve the main goal

Understand how things relate to one another, how bits and pieces function with respect to the purpose, structure and the desired outcomes. How the whole system operates.

The focus is on precise framing of the core issues. Define them in simple, direct terms that will encapsulate the main goal. This will open pathways to original solutions.

• Generating and evaluating ideas using the 'first principles' approach & lateral thinking
• Conceptualizing via creative verbalization: Invert (the structure inside-out) ... Separate (load force components)... Combine (two functions in one part) ...
• Seeking inspiration in nature
• Finding analogies in other industries

Ideas are generated and refined in a series of iterations using the ‘first principles’ approach: how fundamental physical principles apply in the problem area(s), and with what effect.

Concepts are evaluated against the criteria in the Project Requirements document. The most promising concept is selected for final engineering development.

• Project realization: detailed engineering development using the top-down approach
• Design optimization: CAD, FEA, prototyping
• Design validation and testing: 'planning to fail', performance evaluation, risk assessment, manufacturability
• Production documentation & project transfer
• Manufacturing & tooling support
• Ongoing engineering support

Engineer is an architect, not a detailer. A person responsible for system integration. We prefer using the top-down design method, rather than bottom-up, piece-centered engineering design. The solution 'bits' are then naturally spawn from the concept down to the finest level of detail.

Components are optimized using ‘traditional’ engineering methods, CAD & FEA simulations, prototyping and testing. Finally, production documentation and fully featured CAD data for tooling are completed and released.