Week 4 Update!

We began our project this year by getting to know each other and our client. We discussed the initial project brief, and developed a baseline understanding of our problem statement and the potential solutions that could be used.

However, in order to fully understand our problem and design a solution as engineers, we need to employ a systems engineering design process. Due to the human-focused nature of our project, we have decided to implement the Human-Centred Engineering (HCE) design process. This process incorporates elements of systems thinking and engineering and aims to combine collaboration and participatory design approaches with an engineering design cycle. It seeks to allow key factors and considerations to emerge as the process is progressing while allowing for iterations in key stages.

The image above visualises the different stages in the HCE  process. As a team, we are currently in the pre-design phase, as we are working on gathering as much specific information about the project, including contextual knowledge and factors, and understanding of potential users and humans involved. This is the first stage (discovery) of the pre-design phase. Once we have done this to a sufficient standard, we will then progress to the define stage of the pre-design phase, where we as a team will review the information gathered and draw our important aspects to influence future progress on the project.

The HCE process allows us to have a less-defined project scope which will allow us to focus on developing a strong understanding of the context, as this will strongly influence the potential design of our solution.

Follow us on our journey as we implement the HCE process and work through the stages for our project!