What is Design: Definition and 1000 Discussions

A design is a plan or specification for the construction of an object or system or for the implementation of an activity or process, or the result of that plan or specification in the form of a prototype, product or process. The verb to design expresses the process of developing a design. In some cases, the direct construction of an object without an explicit prior plan (such as in craftwork, some engineering, coding, and graphic design) may also be considered to be a design activity. The design usually has to satisfy certain goals and constraints, may take into account aesthetic, functional, economic, or socio-political considerations, and is expected to interact with a certain environment. Major examples of designs include architectural blueprints, engineering drawings, business processes, circuit diagrams, and sewing patterns.The person who produces a design is called a designer, which is a term generally used for people who work professionally in one of the various design areas—usually specifying which area is being dealt with (such as a fashion designer, product designer, web designer or interior designer), but also others such as architects and engineers. A designer's sequence of activities is called a design process, possibly using design methods. The process of creating a design can be brief (a quick sketch) or lengthy and complicated, involving considerable research, negotiation, reflection, modeling, interactive adjustment and re-design.

View More On Wikipedia.org
  1. J

    Reactor Design -- Plug Flow Reactors

    As part of a research project, I've been asked to design an industrial scale model for the synthesis of titania nanowires. These are currently being produced at a scale of 500 g every three days (being that it takes three days for the nanowires to morph using the given method). My director has...
  2. P

    A gear train design problem

    Calculating the input power required for a drive gear in a train. I have 4 gears, all in line. The driver shaft A rotates at 100 revs/min and the gear has a diameter of 40mm. 20 teeth with a module of 2mm The output is to rotate at 400 revs/min and has a diameter of 160mm with 80 teeth and...
  3. zoobyshoe

    New Bladeless Design for Wind Energy

    Sounds pretty good: http://www.theverge.com/2015/5/16/8615089/vortex-bladeless-wind-turbines-shake-to-generate-electricity I like this particular idea a lot. With no blades, these take up much less space, and the claims about them being 50% less expensive to make, and lower maintenance, seems...
  4. ichabodgrant

    Comparator design using a 4-bit adder

    Homework Statement Hi, it's me again. Now I am going to design a 4-bit magnitude comparator using just ONE 4-bit adder and infinitely large number of gates (AND, OR, NOT, NAND, NOR, XOR, XNOR) for signed numbers (negative binary). Homework Equations A > B => A3barB3 + A2barB2x3 +...
  5. ecfedele

    Need some reference on centrifugal pump design

    Little bit of a disclaimer: if you take a look at my first (introductory) post, you'll see that I'm working towards aerospace engineering; therefore, this is leaning towards turbopump design, but for the time being I'll start out slow. Basically, I'd like it if anyone could help me get a sense...
  6. B

    How do I estimate price of a design?

    How do I evaluate the price of the vibro-feeder that I'm modifying? I need to find out how much it would cost to create individual parts, i.e. 1.5mm formed steel or aluminum plate etc. I guess I should evaluate raw materials first but how much does the preparation costs, any reliable websites?
  7. M

    Dashpot Design: Air-based Piston-in-Cylinder Dampers

    afternoon y'all, I'm looking for some references on damper design, piston-in-cylinder type since that is the most common. Does anyone know of any textbooks or handbooks that focus on this material? I'm working on some designs for a dashpot with air as the damping medium. Cheers
  8. K

    EM2 Reactor Design: Facts, Pros & Cons

    I read a little bit about General Atomics EM2 reactor in the December issue of Nuclear News that someone had brought to work recently. I haven't had a chance to read all of the article and I am curious about this reactor design. Are any of you involved in it? It claims to be able to run for 30...
  9. V

    Heat Exchanger Design - Can anyone identify these drawings?

    Hi, I have been asked to create a mechanical drawing of a Shell and Tube Heat Exchanger as part of my course, and have been given some drawings as an example of what mine could look like. I have managed to create drawings on CAD using the example as a target point, however with some of the...
  10. leafjerky

    Automotive Help Me Design My Z's Headers for 6k Peak Torque RPM

    Hey guys I'm new here. I'm an ME student and I'm working on a project. I originally posted this on my350z forum and no one replied. Maybe it's too boring I don't know. If anyone has experience can you help me? Thanks. Hey guys, so I've been recently delving more and more into my z and wanting...
  11. B

    Design a coil with a variable pitch but a constant length?

    I believe what I am attempting to do is not possible but here goes. I want to design a fixed overall length coil which I can manually adjust the pitch on. Optimally one would be able to grab the coil and by twisting it in place would be able to change it's pitch by changing its diameter but not...
  12. P

    I have to design accumulator of energy

    I have to design accumulator of energy. Let's consider insulated cylindrical tank with water. How to calculate all heat losses. Should i consider convection between water and wall and then conduction? but what with all sides of tank? It would be easier with single wall. how to get all...
  13. y2j

    How to -- electric boiler design

    Hi all Are there is an idea to design (thermal design )the size of an small electric steam boiler if the heat input is about (10 Kw)
  14. Riccardo Lardi

    The Aesthetics of impossible or unreal physical phenomena

    I know this may not be a typical question for the Physics board. I am a MA Design student working on a project to illustrate experiments on speculative/fictional physical events. My final work will consist of strongly simplified staged experiment lab situations and should touch on the imaginary...
  15. S

    How Do I Begin an Outline for a System Analysis Project?

    Hi, I need some help on my system analysis and design assignment. I need to put together part of an outline for a deliverable. Below is a little bit of background on the project. This project will design and implement a customer relationship management system in order to provide superior...
  16. T

    Brake design for a small RC car

    Hi! For a university project I have to design a braking mechanism for a remote controlled car. I have very little experience in designing constructions, so I thought I'd ask here for any advice on the matter. I'm mostly curious about the design pattern, the thought process I should be going...
  17. O

    Troubleshooting my IGBT: Vge not Meeting Design Requirement

    currently i need to turn on my IGBT. i measured Vge, it shown 8.25V, but my design requirement of Vge is 15V. i did some research, do i need to add in parasitic capacitances to my IGBT??
  18. P

    Can a Flywheel Store 1 MW of Power for 50 Seconds with Only 33% Energy Loss?

    Hi fellow scientists and engineers, I have a question regarding the design of a flywheel. I know that the actual engineering of a flywheel is very complex and in no way I should expect actual practical answers from this simple question. I'm just trying to get some estimates for a renewable...
  19. 0

    Computer Aided Mechanical Engineering

    I am 17 years old and aspiring to be an engineer. When I go to university next year the course I will be studying is Computer-Aided Mechanical Engineering. I wanted to study just Mechanical Engineering however I did not get into the university that does it and this is the only course that I want...
  20. anorlunda

    Otis Elevator's 75% More Efficient Design: What's Behind the Savings?

    There has been much talk about regerative braking on PF lately. With that in mind, this article in today's Washington Post caught my eye. It talks about Otis Elevator's newest design which the article claims is 75% more efficient than conventional elevators...
  21. arpansen

    Household Portable Electric Blender Blade Design

    I want to to know the physics behind the design of the modern blender blade why is the design the way it is today..why only this specific design of blade is used? Any reference to any research paper or article about the blade shape will be appreciated.
  22. N

    Gear and gearbox design - circular pitch

    Hi everyone! Just joined the fórum after a lot of hours searching the web and Reading some books...I have one question, didn't found na answer to it...but let's give it a try ;) How can you determine the optimal circular pitch and in consequence the optimal diametral pitch of a gear (increasing...
  23. David McArthur

    Argument for Grand Design, maybe?

    I was watching a discussion on wether the the universe is the way it is through design or by chance. The design theory is basically that the universe is such a complex entity and that for it to have evolved exactly as we see it, then it must have been designed. The counter theory is that we live...
  24. M

    Randomized Complete Block Design - Scheffe Multiple Comparison

    Homework Statement I'm working on a problem in Design and Analysis of Experiments by Dean and Voss. It's Chapter 10 question 11 part c. We have an experiment with 2 treatment factors (each with three levels) and 1 blocking factor (with four levels. It's a randomized complete block design so...
  25. F

    Is hands-on experience necessary for design engineers to be successful?

    I have been an electrical design engineer for 3 years now and although I like what I do, sometimes I feel like there's something lacking about the job. I mean that I hardly get my hands dirty by actually assemblying or giving maintenance to the equipment that I design. I know that there are...
  26. P

    UC Berkeley Extension program for IC design or semicon tech

    Hello everyone, I graduated with a BSEE in 2008 and tried a PhD program in EE (semicon device specialization) for a while but it didn't work out. I struggled with an illness that forced me to drop out. I have been working in industry (NOT The semicon industry) since leaving the PhD program...
  27. A

    Design code for structural steel materials

    Bidders propeses ASTM A36 material istead of S275 J2 or S355ML/NL for structural steel (Piperack, Equipment Structure, etc.) on the basis of international standards for most optimal and economical design. Is it really optimal? pls explain why
  28. R

    Stargazing Is this a realistic design for a kilometer wide telescope?

    I'm just a bridge engineer and amateur astronomer, so I'm hoping someone here with more advanced expertise in light waves and reflective surfaces can help me. Basically I was wondering how big a space telescope's primary mirror would have to be in order to view an exoplanet 10 or so light years...
  29. Rhelena

    Engineering Books: Find Best Resources for Learning

    Hello, I've recently taken up an interest in engineering and design, particularly how computers and smartphones work, automobile design, aerospace, etc. Really I've been interested in the subject for a while, but just now decided I want to learn more about engineering, and since I've been...
  30. M

    Formula for optimizing a Flywheel Design

    I tinker with single cylinder 4-stroke (kart) racing engines a good deal. Flywheel design for optimum weight has always amazed me. Does anyone have formulas for optimizing the design? It's more than just saying "x" pounds is best, because the actual shape of the flywheel, width and thickness of...
  31. A

    Burt Rutan's newest aircraft design - the SkiGull

    Burt Rutan is at it again with a new plane the SkiGull - "Its docking system is two, 5” diameter electric motors each driving a 27” diameter folding prop. These self-contained units (Off-the-shelf motor, controller, batteries used for giant RC models) mount on each wing. They provide forward...
  32. J

    Can You Share Design Tips for Bolted Joints That Won't Loosen?

    I'm looking for some info/guidelines on designing bolted joints that are made to move with some resistance/friction...all without loosening the bolt. Think of a legs of a camera tripod; the legs can rotate in and out with resistance, but they never loosen. It seems the basic idea is that the...
  33. A

    AC Generator Design: How to Increase Output Safely

    If you buy a generator (gas powered etc) there is only a certain amount of watts that the generator can put out. This is because the engine only has a certain power rating (and losses). However, if one were to put a higher power engine on the generator head and remove the safety breaker for...
  34. R

    Automotive As a mechanical project we have been asked to design a micro steam car

    [ mod note: moved from homework ] as a mechanical project we have been asked to design a micro steam car. we have chosen to use a wobbler engine for this. The aim of the project to see how far this car can travel based on a given amount of fuel. We are making a boiler which will provide the...
  35. nav kaushik

    How can i design a small sized high torque slow speed motor

    I have no idea about this please help me to design a small sized high torque slow speed motor
  36. B

    VHDL coding -- Design a component that uses a 4-to-1 multiplexer

    Homework Statement Design a component that uses a 4-to-1 multiplexer to choose between one of four different operations to get the result from. Each of the operations and the multiplexer should be behavioral design in their own modules / files to be used in the overall component design as...
  37. D

    Cheap and easy electric generator design

    I would like to build, from scratch, a small generator to be driven by a small windmill, for experimental purposes. One such generator on the internet has 8 NIB disk magnets (about the size of a quarter coin), flat sides facing out, mounted around a plastic rotor, with axes aligned along the...
  38. G

    Ball Bearing Selection for Wheel Hubs

    Hello there guys I'm trying to find out which ball bearings I have to use for a new wheel hub I am designing. What I'm currently doing is a load analysis for the axis but I am confused on how would the forces that affect the wheel (normal, friction, lateral force when the car takes a turn...
  39. S

    Steam Turbine Design for Waste Heat Recovery Plant

    i need the design data of a reaction steam turbine in order to complete my project..My project is about waste heat recovery plant..
  40. A

    4 in lift mechanism using a continuous servo?

    Hi, I need to design a lift mechanism that is powered by a small continuous servo. It needs to lift a plate up at least 4 inches, and be totally powered by this servo...
  41. V

    Design a 1000Kg Hydraulic Scissors Lift

    Hello guys I want to fabricate hydraulically operated scissors lift. I preformed calculations & fabricated same but unfortunately it didn't work. Can anybody help me out to design it again. Required specifications are Maximum load: 1000Kg Open height: 1500mm Closed height: less than 375 mm...
  42. Z

    Lens Question for Design of an Infrared Spotlight

    Hello All. I'm working on a project to build an infrared spotlight which will hopefully light up a distant object so that I can see it on an IP enabled night vision camera. The lens problem seems very straight forward, but I could use some help. Per the attached diagram, I want to focus the...
  43. B

    Efficient aluminum foil heat transfer design

    Aluminum foil reels have to be preheated for manufacturing but it's inefficient (the doors aren't sealed and the material isn't in close contact with heating elements at the sides). I'm considering an initiative of more efficient design. How difficult would it be to evaluate heat transfer if...
  44. y2j

    Plate fin tube heat exchanger design procedure

    Hi anyone have the procedure to design the plate fin tube heat exchanger (air cooler) at defined mass flow rates and inlet / outlet temperatures , or anyone have an software package can be used for this purpose , please can share it with me
  45. H

    Control design for PWM converter

    Hi Everyone, here is Hubert again. Here attached is my design and the problems I am facing. Can anyone be of help? Thanks in advance. Best regards Urbain
  46. J

    Resource explaining circuit design (for newbies)

    I've been looking for quite some time for some tutorial/video online explaining a working circuit. I mean, consider some simple analoge circuit, with resistors and voltage dividers, caps, maybe even transistors etc etc... If this circuit performs some understandable task, then what do these...
  47. R

    Design of Vapour Compression Refrigeration Cycle

    Hi! For our class project, we have to design a system that freezes an amount of water as quick as possible. The refrigerant is R134a. The compressor is known. I don't really know how to get started here. How do I choose the evaporator pressure and the superheating, and equally the condensor...
  48. L

    I want to design Missiles for the Navy -- what should I study?

    i would like to design and build missiles for the navy which upper school subjects should i take and then which uni corses should i follow them up with
  49. Ismael Nunez

    How Effective Is a Movable Center of Gravity in a Pinewood Derby Car Design?

    Hello everyone! This is my first post, so excuse my improper etiquette (if any). Anyways, the Pinewood Derby, just in case you guys are unfamiliar with it, is an event that is held as a competition where small, homemade cars, race. The track is contains a ramp, which then leads onto a flat...
  50. T

    Help me design an attendance process for lectures

    I am a member of a small group of physics graduate students in charge of a monthly series of public science lectures. The lectures are aimed at local high school students, and we have many high school teachers who encourage their students to attend by offering extra credit. The audience of each...
Back
Top