Structure
The key element of the Engineering Design in Industry Program is the commitment to quality design as a product. Experience shows this results from the following organization:
An industrial partner presents an engineering problem of current concern.
- The faculty and the industrial contact discuss the project description and produce a formal design task.
- The sponsoring company formalizes their commitment by identifying their industrial advisor and by contributing $5500 toward design education at UCI.
- Project teams are organized and the course begins with a “kick-off” breakfast.
- At the 6th week each design team presents its preliminary results at an on-site design review identifying three potential solutions to the problem and down selecting to the most viable approach. The industrial sponsor has the option of refining or revising the project goals.
- The remaining four weeks are spent refining the design, conducting modeling or prototyping, and generating a complete and detailed solution set for the problem.
- At the conclusion of the course, all design teams present their results in a symposium for the industrial sponsors. A final report documenting the project is also provided.