Engineering Models & Prototypes

Research

• As a design develops, engineers construct models to test ideas and develop stronger solutions. A model is only one iteration of a design and must be used to develop later models and solutions. So, a project will have multiple models to outline a design -- each model developing from the last.

Representation

• Models represent the form and technologies necessary to produce a design solution. Every element of a design cannot be incorporated into a model, so there are often multiple models to reflect a design. The scale of the models provide different information about design elements. For example, a detail model provides a technical description of connecting parts, whereas a context model provides information about how the design will interact with its environment.

Testing

• Many engineering models and prototypes are used to test how the design will react to given conditions. For example, structural models are tested to scale to find the way an object will react to structural loads or movement. In addition, environmental models test how a design will react to changes in temperature, light, use and weather. Prototypes must work as intended to prove the design is functional and appropriate.

Interaction

• Models and prototypes are tools for design, but engineers often use them like toys -- working them in different ways, pressing them to their limits to see how the designs interact with individuals and environment. Because models and prototypes are three-dimensional, the engineer can intuit performance better than with a two-dimensional representation.