Engineering versus Design
In the Great Salt Lake in northern Utah, there is a railroad causeway that divides the lake into two halves, which causes the lake to have two distinct colorations. The water in the northern half of the lake has a pink, sometimes orange, tint due to abundant tiny organisms called halophiles. On the southern side of the railroad, the water is filled with blue or green tinted algae [1]. This division, shown in the picture below, is an incredible natural phenomenon. A similarly striking division exists in the realms of engineering and design.
Picture of the Great Salt Lake and its colorful division
Engineering vs. Design
Technical creation can be divided into these two disciplines. Though similar, Engineering and Design are often fraught with conflict, especially where they intersect. Every day there are engineers and designers going toe to toe over aesthetics and feasibility of designs. Engineers are often accused of being too technically constrained and designers of being too creatively liberal. Why does this division exist? At the end of the day, we're all trying to create a successful product, right?
Everyone's definition of the two disciplines varies according to their bias, which is one of the causes of the division. For the purpose of this article, I will use the following definitions. The definition of engineering from the National Academy of Engineers states that ″engineering is the act of creating artifacts, processes, or systems that advance technology and address human needs using principles of the sciences, mathematics, computing, and operations [2].″ Design, according to the International Council of Design, can be defined as a ″discipline of study and practice focused on the interaction between a person — a ‘user’— and the man-made environment, taking into account aesthetic, functional, contextual, cultural and societal considerations [3].″ Both definitions involve taking a repetitive path from concept to solution, but the nuances within cause the strife between the two disciplines. In my research, experiences, and conversations with colleagues, I have found three main nuances between Engineering and Design. We should also note that these differences are not blue and pink, like the Great Salt Lake. Generally, engineers tend towards one side and designers to the other, but some, especially the most successful ones, go back and forth between the sides often.
Engineers vs Designers | Brandon Chinn via LinkedIn
Different Types of Reasoning
Engineers tend to use more deductive reasoning which is ″the act of backing up a generalized statement with specific scenarios [4].″ This is the systematic process that it takes to evolve an idea into a verified solution, usually done through formulas, experiments, and strict procedures. For example, if a client needs to make a vessel that holds a liquid; an engineer would list the five different experiments (i.e. processes and artifacts) they could run to factually work out the single, best possible vessel to accomplish that task and deliver that solution to the client.
Designers fall more on the other side of the reasoning spectrum: inductive reasoning. Directly opposite to deductive, inductive reasoning is ″the act of making generalized conclusions based [on a] specific scenario [5].″ If the engineer from the example above is replaced with a designer, the designer would create five different concepts that successfully enhance the interaction between the user and the ″man-made environment″ and deliver them all to the client. In other words, engineers use information in order to narrow down solutions, while designers use information to expand the possible solutions.
2. Ρrocesses and Tools
Generally, engineers are more data and manufacturing focused, which drives the types of processes they use, including calculations, experimentation, and data-driven prototypes. Such processes lead to specific tools. Engineers generally use analytical software and computer-aided design to come up with their solutions.
On the other hand, designers are more focused on the intangible solutions to problems, how people react to, interact with, and feel about their product [6]. Through sketching, interacting with the end user, and emotionally-driven prototypes, designers will create their solution which require different tools. Designers largely use manually generated prototypes, creative software, and human interaction. For both engineers and designers, the tools help solve the problems with which they are presented by synergistically working with their respective constraints, processes, and mindsets.
Image of different engineering and design tools | Jobya.com
3. Ρriority Allotment
Third, the two groups generally have different priorities. Engineers must adhere to so many standards, tolerances, and regulations. So, when engineering a car door, the engineer needs to make sure the bolts all fit together, the welding is done correctly, the materials are non-toxic and sufficiently corrosion resistant. Designers, on the other hand, are more concerned with the feel and look of the door such as handle placement in relation to people, curvature, ergonomics, and brand adherence. If you leave the car door design to either of the two disciplines, the door could end up just being a plain rectangle with a string for a handle or an artistic masterpiece that doesn't perfectly fit with the rest of the car.
As I said previously, these differences are not black and white. There is a line, but successful engineers and designers pull from each other’s toolboxes. So now the question is, how does one become successful by learning how to pull from toolboxes with which they might not have experience?
AI Generated image of the Great Salt Lake with a unified purple color
Sharing Toolboxes
Look at the tools you use. Where do they fall short? Where are they successful? Do you consider ergonomics and aesthetics in your problem? Do you consider all tolerances and materials in your solution? From my limited experience, designers and engineers – or problem solvers – need to weave a synergistic tapestry of development to make the most successful product. Ρroblem solvers shouldn't have train tracks creating completely different ecologies in our work, like in the Great Salt Lake. We need to break down the barrier and create a beautiful pastel purple color with the two disciplines. Engineers should learn to be more creative and involve more human interaction in their inventions, providing the users with a better experience. Designers should learn how to implement the experimentation and tolerances that drive scientific innovation.
Take a moment, fellow problem-solver, and think about this scenario. A client needs wireless charging stations for their company desks. Think about what tools a ″pink-side″ engineer or a ″blue-side″ designer would use and where they would fall short. An engineer might just create the most effective shape that gets the job done. However, they should interview potential users and figure out what designs elicit a positive emotional response, what signals discretely denote proper usage, and how it should be placed in relation to the main sitting position. The designer, on the other hand, might just make the most artistically satisfying charging station possible. However, they should look up material compatibility in wireless charging, machining tolerances for different manufacturing processes, and figure out how to successfully integrate the electronics into the overall design. When we merge design and engineering – pulling from a combined, pastel purple toolbox – an aesthetically pleasing, technically sound product can be produced.
If designers and engineers can reach into each other’s tool bags, becoming a ″pastel purple″ problem solver, their products will look good to the eye and have the right technical capabilities. It will be satisfying for the manufacturers, vendors, and users to experience. The client will feel like they have gotten the most bang for their buck. I invite you, reader, to look at your problem solving process. Where are you limiting yourself to ″blue″ or ″pink″ tools? Which tools can you use to fracture the line between design and engineering and create your ″pastel purple″ solution?
[1] https://wildlife.utah.gov/gslep/about.html
[2] https://www.nae.edu/221278/Presidents-Perspective-What-Is-Engineering
[3] https://www.theicod.org/en/professional-design/what-is-design/what-is-design
[4] https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/deductive-reasoning
[5] https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/deductive-reasoning
[6] https://www.petermanfirm.com/blog/product-design/designers-and-engineers/
