INTRODUCTION TO

ENGINEERING DESIGN
College of Engineering
Princess Norah Bent Abdurrahman University

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 LECTURE 10
CREATIVITY IN
ENGINEERING DESIGN

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CREATIVITY AND ENGINEERING

• The professional life of engineers is devoted to the

creative solution of problems
• Technology is the result of creativity with a
purpose, or engineering design*

• Sending someone to the

moon and to bringing
him back to earth in 1968
required a number of
technologies created by
Engineers
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 CREATIVE ENGINEERS* HAVE:

• Curiosity and tolerance of

unknown
• Openness to new experiences
• Willingness to take risks
• Ability to observe details and see
the “whole picture”
• No fear of problems
• Ability to concentrate and focus
on the problem until it’s solved

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 WHAT SOME ONCE SAID:
• This 'telephone' has too many shortcomings to be
seriously considered as a means of
communication. The device is inherently of no
value to us. (Western Union internal memo, 1876)

• I think there is a world market for

maybe five computers. (Thomas Watson*,
1943)

• 640K [memory] ought to be enough for

anybody (Bill Gates, 1981)**
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WHAT YOU SHOULD HEAR:
• Great spirits have always encountered
violent opposition from mediocre minds.
- Albert Einstein

• The person who says it cannot be done

should not interrupt the person doing it.
- Chinese Proverb

• Every really new idea looks crazy at first.

- Alfred North Whitehead*

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TEAMS AND CREATIVITY
• Teams combine* the
different backgrounds,
experiences and
thinking preferences of
individuals
• Interaction among team
members – other’s ideas
are used as stepping-
stones to more creative
ideas
• Willingness on the part
of a team to take greater
risks
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ENGINEERING CREATIVE METHODS
• Evolution: Incremental improvement; Every problem that
has been solved can be solved again in a better way.
• Synthesis: Two or more existing ideas are combined into a
third, new idea.
• Revolution: Completely different, new idea
• Reapplication: Look at something old in a new way.
• Changing Direction: Attention is shifted from one angle
of a problem to another

Introduction to Creative Thinking , Robert Harris. Version Date: July 1, 1998

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Engineering Creativity and Constraints
• In engineering, creativity is useful only if it fits
into the realities* of the physical world
• A creative idea in engineering must conform
to the established physical laws
• A creative idea in engineering must conform
to our present knowledge of the nature of
matter, unless we invent or find a new form
of matter.
• Creativity in engineering is constrained by
feasibility and practicality.

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CREATIVITY STIMULATION* TECHNIQUES

1. Inversion
2. Morphological Analysis
3. Analogy
4. Brainstorming
Many others

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 Techniques: 1 Inversion
• Inverting the problem to view it from a different
angle
• If you would like to save energy, explore wasting
energy
• The crow example: Water
too low in the jug.
Instead of trying to
explore how to go to the
water, explore how the
water can get to the crow.
Solution, put stones!
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Techniques: 2 Morphological Analysis
• The problem is divided into smaller
sub-problems.
• Concepts are generated to satisfy
each smaller problem.
• A four-step process
1. List the functions and features required
2. Identify as many ways (i.e. concepts) as possible
for each feature or function
3. Draw a table with features/functions listed
vertically and concepts listed horizontally
4. Identify all practical combinations
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 Techniques: 2 Morphological Analysis (Example)
Design a means of transportation for disabled persons*
Feature Concept 1 Concept 2 Concept 3 Concept 4
Body Support armchair under arm leg support sofa

Ground Support rollers** tracks wheels** skids

Power Supply Battery solar human air

Speed Control automatic manual on-off -

Direction Control side thrust one side reverse steering

lock

Design 1: Armchair + Rollers + Solar + Automatic + Side-

thrust
Design 2: Armchair + Wheels + Human + Manual + 13
Steering***
2 Morphological Analysis (contn’d)

• This approach is very powerful

• It generates “so many” combinations
• Many obviously will not make sense and can be
quickly eliminated
• However, you often find a new idea by looking at
the possible combinations* of concept pieces
• Remember, this is an iterative process, you may
have to go back to square one often

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 Techniques: 3 Analogy
• Personal analogy (imagine
yourself in the situation, e.g., if
designing a product, imagine
yourself as the product itself or one
of its functions)
• Direct analogy* (copy ideas from
nature, wild life)

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 TECHNIQUES: 4 BRAINSTORMING*
Rules (within a comfortable/friendly environment):
• Define the problem to be solved
• No criticism allowed during the session
• Large quantity of ideas wanted (quantity over
quality)
• Crazy ideas are welcome
• Keep ideas short and snappy
• Combine and improve on others’ ideas “laterally”
(new categories) and “vertically” (new ideas in
categories)

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 IDEA SELECTION
• Creative sessions lead to many ideas, how to select
the best one?
• Do some clustering first (merge similar ideas under
one heading)
• Then, apply one or more of the following options:

1. Questions Options Criteria (QOC)

2. Voting

3. SWOT Analysis
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SELECTION: 1 QUESTIONS OPTIONS CRITERIA (QOC)

• Determine important criteria beforehand

• Judge each option (idea) based on the criteria
• Criteria may have a different weighting!

Criteria 1 Criteria 2 Criteria 3

Option 1
Option 2
Option 3
Option 4
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 SELECTION: 2 VOTING

• Members are given a fixed number of colored stickers

(virtual money)
• Voting for good ideas (criteria) is by putting a sticker next
to it
• For very good ideas, multiple stickers can be put
• This could be used to reduce the list of alternative ideas

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 SELECTION: SWOT

Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats

• Often used to analyze business but

can also be used to select ideas
• Specify each of these for each idea
• Can be applied to a reduced list of
ideas
• Better suited to modify/improve
existing designs

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Final Thoughts
• For every good idea, expect to have tens of
bad or wrong or useless ideas
• You don’t have to be a mathematical genius.
But you should be competent in mathematics.
• Evaluate and improve the extent of your hands-
on and laboratory skills.
• Visualize how the work could be accomplished
(spreadsheets, flowcharts, drawing)
• Imagination is also crucial. Begin at the science
fiction level, then apply the constraints gradually.
• Keep a design notebook*

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THANK YOU

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