Using an Engineering Design Center to Infuse Design Experience into a Mechanical Engineering Program

Design and Innovation Centers are becoming popular creativity hubs on many engineering campuses. While a number of centers, such as Stanford University’s d-school and Northwestern University’s Segal Design Institute have existed for a long time, a significant number of other engineering centers have recently been established and even more are in the planning phase. These centers generally offer a location, infrastructure, and support for the university community to learn and work in a hands-on project-centered environment. Though each design center has a unique purpose relative to its home institution, the centers have all had a significant impact instilling design experiences into the campus culture. This paper examines the impact of the arrival of an engineering design center at one university and reports on how the impact has been documented. Through a single case study, the local results can serve as a template for new design centers to review as they plan and implement their own centers to foster design and innovation skills.