TASC Engineering Design study plan
TASC Engineering Design · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 6 hours per week
Engineering Design Process & Problem Definition and Requirements
Map the full engineering design process from problem statement through final design review, labeling each stage's inputs and outputs
Distinguish needs from wants and translate a vague stakeholder request into a written problem statement
Write measurable functional requirements with units, thresholds, and tolerances for a sample product
Separate mandatory constraints from preferences and rank them by priority
Draft a requirements traceability table linking each requirement to its source stakeholder
Your checkpoint
A one-page problem definition package for a self-chosen product containing a problem statement, ten measurable requirements, three constraints, and a traceability table
Engineering Design Process & Design Analysis and Modeling
Decompose a design problem into subfunctions using a function tree or black-box model
Apply a structured concept generation method such as brainstorming, morphological analysis, or TRIZ to produce at least twenty candidate concepts
Build a weighted decision matrix and score concepts against the requirements from week 1
Identify the dominant design drivers and justify the selected concept in writing
Explain how analysis and modeling feed back into concept selection during iteration
Your checkpoint
A concept selection report with a function decomposition, at least twenty documented concepts, a weighted decision matrix, and a written justification of the winning concept
Engineering Design Process & Design Analysis and Modeling
Construct free-body diagrams and apply equilibrium equations to a simple structural member
Perform a hand calculation for stress, strain, and factor of safety on a loaded component
Estimate power, torque, and efficiency for a simple mechanical or electrical system
Run a parametric sensitivity check to see how outputs respond when key inputs vary by twenty percent
State the assumptions and limits of validity behind each model used
Your checkpoint
A worked analysis packet with three hand calculations, a sensitivity table, and a written assumptions log
Design Analysis and Modeling & Prototyping and Testing
Build a spreadsheet or script model that predicts system performance from input parameters
Validate the model against at least one hand calculation or known reference value
Design a test plan with objective, procedure, instrumentation, sample size, and pass criteria
Identify sources of measurement error and describe how to reduce them
Plan a low-fidelity prototype that isolates the riskiest assumption
Your checkpoint
A test plan plus a validated performance model with a comparison table showing model output versus hand-calculation or reference values
Prototyping and Testing & Materials, Manufacturing, and Cost
Fabricate a physical or simulated prototype that addresses the highest-risk requirement
Execute the week 4 test plan and record raw data in a structured log
Analyze results against pass criteria and quantify the gap where requirements are missed
Select materials for two competing designs by comparing strength, weight, cost, and manufacturability
Estimate unit cost including material, labor, tooling, and overhead for a low-volume production run
Your checkpoint
A prototype test report with raw data, pass-fail results against each criterion, and a cost and material comparison for two design options
Materials, Manufacturing, and Cost & Safety, Ethics, and Standards
Compare manufacturing processes such as machining, injection molding, and additive manufacturing on cost, volume, and tolerance
Identify applicable safety standards and codes for a chosen product category and summarize what each governs
Perform a failure modes and effects analysis and rank risks by severity and likelihood
Apply a recognized engineering code of ethics to two scenario-based dilemmas
Distinguish legal requirements from voluntary standards and explain design-for-safety strategies
Your checkpoint
A safety and compliance dossier containing an FMEA table, a standards mapping list, and written ethical analyses of two scenarios
Communication and Teamwork & Safety, Ethics, and Standards
Write a design review document with problem statement, requirements, alternatives, analysis, and recommendation
Deliver a timed oral presentation of the design to a simulated review board and answer questions
Produce clear technical drawings, charts, and tables that label units and sources
Give and receive structured peer feedback using a written rubric
Document team roles, decision records, and conflict resolution for a multi-week project
Your checkpoint
A complete design review package including a written report, a slide deck, and a feedback rubric scored by at least one reviewer
Engineering Design Process & Problem Definition and Requirements & Design Analysis and Modeling & Prototyping and Testing
Integrate all prior artifacts into a single coherent design portfolio
Re-verify every requirement against final test evidence and flag unmet ones
Complete two timed full-length practice exams and review each missed item by domain
Diagnose weak domains from practice scores and drill targeted problem sets
Rehearse explaining the design process end to end in under five minutes
Your checkpoint
A final portfolio with a requirements verification matrix and a practice-exam score log showing per-domain results and remediation notes
Milestones
Week 2: You can state a problem, list measurable requirements, and defend a concept choice using a weighted decision matrix without notes
Week 4: Your performance model matches a hand calculation within ten percent, and your test plan has explicit pass criteria for every requirement
Week 6: You can map a product to its governing standards, rank failure modes by risk, and resolve an ethics scenario using a named code
Week 8: Practice-exam scores reach at least eighty percent overall with no domain below seventy percent, and the portfolio passes a self-audit against the requirements matrix