Good and bad design to be an engineer

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Good design in engineering is characterized by compliance with code requirements, fulfillment of client needs, cost-effectiveness, ease of installation, and maintainability. Effective designs often prioritize simplicity while addressing all relevant issues without incurring unnecessary costs. The quantity of projects completed by an engineer does not directly correlate with their competence, as the quality and complexity of individual projects vary significantly. Training to become a good designer involves developing problem-solving skills and understanding design principles rather than relying solely on artistic ability. Ultimately, a successful design engineer focuses on delivering efficient and practical solutions tailored to specific challenges.
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What are the characteristics of a good design and a bad design? How can we be a good design engineer? How many design projects do we need to complete in a year to be a good design engineer?
 
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Oh my. Those are incredibly vague questions. Those are opinions and they can not possibly cover every engineer's own situation.
 
I will use mechanical design as my reference, but most of these apply to any design.

A good design addresses all code requirements.

A good design meets as many as possible of the client's requirements.

A good design balances first cost (installation cost) and operating cost (efficiency) as per the client's desires.

A good design is possible to install.

A good design is easy to maintain.

The best designs are often the least complicated solution that meets all the requirements.
 
A good designer will address all relevant issues when overcoming a problem at minimum cost.

Any compromise on his ability to address the issues, overcome the problem, or create extra cost shows a compromise of his engineering ability.


The number of projects an engineer attempts bears absolutely no relation on his competence. A design engineer may take many months to design a bridge abutment, many weeks to design a crankshaft, or a few hours to design a small bracket, but none of these are necessarily done well/poorly, and none of these are indicative of his competence.
 
how to be a good designer

Is it possible for a student who is not good at art to become a good engineering designer? How can we train ourselves to be a good designer?
 
Please don't double post.
 
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