Effective engineering design requires engagement with diverse and broad groups of stakeholders (e.g., end-users, communities, policy-makers, manufacturers). In an effort to advance community-centered engineering design, this research area aims to develop approaches and methods for engaging various stakeholders throughout a design process. This research area also investigates the process of stakeholder perspective-taking (a practice where designers bring stakeholder perspectives to team deliberations when stakeholders cannot be present), and studies ways to encourage this practice in engineering settings.

All successful products must function in particular cultural, political, economic, and industrial settings. This work contributes to the advancement of design theory and methodology by expanding the definition for “context” in engineering design, further defining classifications of contextual factors, and developing specific strategies and methods for incorporating contextual factors into various design stages. Current partners for this project include researchers at the University of Michigan: Kathleen Sienko (Mechanical Engineering and Design Science program) and Kentaro Toyama (School of Information).

While most engineering design processes focus on ensuring user safety, they insufficiently consider broader social impacts and well-being outcomes. Methods for evaluating potential social impacts during engineering validation and subsequently improving product design to improve these impacts are lacking. This research area aims to investigate which social impacts are most relevant and under what conditions, develop metrics and methods for evaluating potential impacts, and integrate these considerations into engineering design decisions.

Some of the most complex and pressing problems facing humanity are considered “wicked problems,” e.g., climate change, access to healthcare, and poverty. Developing solutions that aim to address wicked problems (at least in part) requires being able to identify the multitude of factors, perspectives, and interactions that make up these complex issues. This research area aims to identify approaches and methods for scoping wicked problems so that engineers can effectively problem solve towards these complex goals.

How do engineers use prior art in their design processes? How can patents be used to study design evolution over time? This research area investigates how intellectual property can support improved design practice and engineering education.