This paper describes the findings from an empirical study carried out with engineers in senior roles within a large company manufacturing complex products. This research aimed to identify the types of knowledge that are important for design engineers. Twenty four knowledge categories were identified and the importance of these for design engineers in industry was investigated. In addition, the number of years of relevant experience required to become an expert in these types of knowledge was investigated. Knowledge related to the process was perceived as more important to those related to the product. However, the number of years to become an expert in process knowledge was found to be lower than for product knowledge, despite process knowledge being perceived as more important. The findings of this research contribute to the education and training of design engineers.
1.
Zika-Viktorsson
, A.
, and Ritzen
, S.
, 2005, “Project Competence in Product Development
,” Res. Eng. Des.
0934-9839, 15
, pp. 193
–200
.2.
Ellstrom
, P. E.
, 1997, “The Many Meanings of Occupational Competence and Qualification
,” J. Eur. Indust. Train.
0309-0590, 21
(6
), pp. 266
–273
.3.
Unit for the Development of Adult Continuing Education (UDACE) 1989, “
Understanding Competence
,” Unit for the Development of Adult Continuing Education, Leicester.4.
Shuman
, L. J.
, Besterfield-Sacre
, M.
, and McGourty
, J.
, 2005, “The ABET Professional Skills-Can They be Taught? Can they be Assessed?
” J. Eng. Educ.
1069-4730, 94
(1
), pp. 41
–55
.5.
Danish Academy of Technical Science
2000 (in Danish), “The Engineer’s New Reality- Roles and Education
.”6.
Ahmed
, S.
, Wallace
, K. M.
, and Blessing
, L. S.
, 2003, “Understanding the Differences Between How Novice and Experienced Designers Approach Design Tasks
,” Res. Eng. Des.
0934-9839, 14
(1
), pp. 1
–11
.7.
Nonaka
, I.
, and Takeuchi
, H.
, 1995, “The Knowledge Creating Company: How Japanese Companies Create the Dynamics of Innovation
, Oxford University Press
, New York
.8.
Wallace
, K. M.
, Ahmed
, S.
, and Bracewell
, R. H.
, 2004. “Engineering Knowledge Management
,” in Design Process Improvement-A Review of Current Practice
, P. J.
Clarkson
and C.
Eckert
eds., Springer-Verlag
.9.
Court
, A.
, 1995, “The Modelling and Classification of Information for Engineering Designers
,” University of Bath
.10.
Evbuomwan
, N. F. O.
, 1997, “Concurrent Design Knowledge Capture in Design Function Deployment
, Proceedings of the International Conference on engineering Design ICED 1997
, Vol. 2
, Tampere
, pp. 219
–222
.11.
Van Aken
, J. E.
, 2005, “Valid Knowledge for the Professional Design of Large and Complex Design Processes
,” Des. Stud.
0142-694X, 26
, pp. 379
–404
.12.
Venselaar
, K.
, Hoop
, W. G. v. d.
, and Drunen
, P. v.
, 1987, “The Knowledge Base of the Designer
,” in Regulation of Learning
, P. R. G.
Simons
and G.
Beukhof
, eds., SVO
, The Hague, pp. 121
–135
.13.
Kavakli
, M.
, and Gero
, J. S.
, 2001, “Strategic Knowledge Differences Between an Expert and a Novice
,” Proceedings of the Strategic Knowledge and Concept Formation III
, Sydney, pp. 55
–68
.14.
Cross
, N.
, 2004, “Expertise in Design: An Overview
,” Des. Stud.
0142-694X, 25
, pp. 427
–441
.15.
Ahmed
, S.
, Wallace
, K.
, and Langdon
, P.
, 2001, “Identifying the Strategic Knowledge of Experienced Designers
,” in Proceedings of the Strategic Knowledge and Concept Formation III
, Sydney, pp. 31
–54
.16.
Eris
, O.
, 2003, “Asking Generative Design Questions: A Fundamental Cognitive Mechanism in Design Thinking
,” Proceedings of the International Conference on Engineering Design
, Stockholm.17.
Aurisicchio
, M.
, and Wallace
, K.
, 2004, “Information Requests and Consequent Searches in Aerospace Design
,” Proceedings of the International Design Conference
, Design 2004, Dubrovnik.18.
Dym
, C. L.
, Agogino
, A. M.
, Eris
, O.
, Frey
, D. D.
, and Leifer
, L. J.
, 2005, “Engineering Design Thinking, Teaching and Learning
,” J. Eng. Educ.
1069-4730, 94
, No. 1, pp. 103
–120
.19.
Hacker
, P.
, 2003, “Designer’s Skills Survey
,” Report No. E/Hac/2038.20.
Hashemian
, H.
, and Gu
, P.
, 1997, “Modelling the Creative Knowledge of Conceptual Design
,” Proceedings of the International Conference of Engineering Design ICED 97
, Tampere, Vol. 2
, pp. 211
–214
.21.
Akin
, Ö.
, 1990, “Necessary Conditions for Design Expertise and Creativity
,” Des. Stud.
0142-694X, 11
(2
), pp. 107
–113
.22.
Ericsson
, K. A.
, and Charness
, N.
, 1997, Cognitive and Development Factors in Expert Performance
, in P. J.
Feltovich
, K. M.
Ford
, and R. R.
Hoffman
, eds., Expertise in Context
, AAAI
, CA, pp. 3
–41
.23.
Zeitz
, C. M.
, 1997, “Some Concrete Advantages of Abstraction: How Experts Representations Facilitate Reasoning
,” in P. J.
Feltovich
, K. M.
Ford
, and R. R.
Hoffman
, eds., Expertise in Context
, AIAA Press
, CA, pp. 43
–65
.24.
Jong
, A. J. M.
, 1986. “de, Kennis en het Oplossen van Vakinhoudelijke Problemen (Knowledge and solving domain problems)
,” thesis. Technical University of Eindhoven, Eindhoven.25.
Waldron
, M. B.
, and Waldron
, K. J.
, 1996. “The Influence of the Designer’s Expertise on the Design Process
,” in M. B.
Waldron
and K. J.
Waldron
, eds., Mechanical Design: Theory and Methodology
, Springer
, New York, pp. 5
–20
.Copyright © 2007
by American Society of Mechanical Engineers
You do not currently have access to this content.
