Abstract
Education in design has become a major priority in modern mechanical engineering curriculums. In particular, design education has focused on using good design methodology to produce optimum solutions, promote innovation, and encourage creativity in the engineer. There are other facets of the design engineer’s position that should also be emphasized at the education level. First, design engineers must be aware of the manufacturing processes that will be used to turn their concepts into working solutions. Second, they must understand how prototypes of those solutions fit into the overall product development process, and how new technologies such as Rapid Prototyping can enhance it. Finally, they must be able to effectively communicate their design intent, both graphically, verbally, and in writing, at all stages of the product development process. These three essential engineering skills, with special emphasis given to the last two and their place in design education, are covered in this paper.
