Creativity In Engineering

Creativity is like an iceberg - the resulting new idea, or novel solution is only 10% of the effort. The other 90% is the complex interplay of thinking skills and strategies, personal and motivational properties that activate these skills and strategies, and the social and organizational factors of the environment that influence the creative process. Creativity in Engineering focuses on the Process, Person, Product, and Place to understand when and why creativity happens in the engineering environment and how it can be further encouraged. Special Features: Applies findings in creativity research to the engineering arena Defines engineering creativity and differentiates it from innovation Discusses personality and motivational factors that impact creativity Clarifies the role of creativity in the design process Details the impact of thinking skills and strategies in creativity Identifies the role the organization and environment plays in encouraging creativity Discusses the 4P's of Creativity: Person, Product, Process, and Place Provides tactics and tools that will help users foster creativity in engineering environments Identifies how creativity results in innovative new solutions to problems Applies creativity research and knowledge to the engineering space

Designing engineering products technical systems and/or transformation processes requires a range of information, know-how, experience, and engineering analysis, to find an optimal solution. Creativity and open-mindedness can be greatly assisted by systematic design engineering, which will ultimately lead to improved outcomes, documentatio

A guide to systems engineering that highlights creativity and innovation in order to foster great ideas and carry them out Practical Creativity and Innovation in Systems Engineering exposes engineers to a broad set of creative methods they can adopt in their daily practices. In addition, this book guides engineers to become entrepreneurs within traditional engineering companies, promoting creative and innovative culture around them. The author describes basic systems engineering concepts and includes an abbreviated summary of Standard 15288 systems’ life cycle processes. He then provides an extensive collection of practical creative methods which are linked to the various systems’ life cycle processes. Next, the author discusses obstacles to innovation and, in particular, how engineers can push creative ideas through layers of reactionary bureaucracy within non-innovative organizations. Finally, the author provides a comprehensive description of an exemplary creative and innovative case study recently completed. The book is filled with illustrative examples and offers effective guidelines that can enhance individual engineers’ creative prowess as well as be used to create an organizational culture where creativity and innovation flourishes. This important book: Offers typical systems engineering processes that can be accomplished in creative ways throughout the development and post-development portions of a system's lifetime. Includes a large collection of practical creative methods applicable to engineering and other technological domains Includes innovation advice needed to transform creative ideas into new products, services, businesses and marketing processes Contains references and notes for further reading in every section Written for systems engineering practitioners, graduate school students and faculty members of systems, electrical, aerospace, mechanical and industrial engineering schools, Practical Creativity and Innovation in Systems Engineering offers a useful guide for creating a culture that promotes innovation.

This book illuminates what engineering is and how it relates to other disciplines such as art, architecture, law, economics, science, technology, and even religion. The author explains, from an intrinsic as well as descriptive perspective, why engineering is essential for our collective well-being, and how, like medicine, it is undertaken by people, and for people, to improve the human condition. He brings out the 'magic' of engineering practice as well as addressing the darker aspects such as warfare and the misuse of the internet. A too commonly held view assumes that the practice of engineers is a cold, purely quantitative and wholly technical enterprise of applying know science, and devoid of creativity or aestheticism. In 2013 the United States National Academy of Engineering launched a campaign called “Changing the Conversation, Messages for Improving Public Understanding of Engineering” with four messages to impart about engineers: that they make a world of difference; are creative problem solvers; that they help shape the future, and are essential to health, happiness, and safety. In this volume, Professor Blockley incorporate these messages into an engaging exposition of engineering accomplishment in all of its evolving diversity, from the technician to the academic research engineer, illustrating the continuum of thinking and purpose from the fixer of the gas boiler to the designers of the A380 and the iPhone.

Invention and innovation lie at the heart of problem solving in virtually every discipline, but they are not easy to come by. Divine inspiration aside, historically we have depended primarily on observation, brainstorming, and trial-and-error methods to develop the innovations that provide solutions. But these methods are neither efficient nor dependable enough for the high-quality, high-tech engineering solutions we need today. TRIZ is a unique and powerful, algorithmic approach to problem solving that demonstrated remarkable effectiveness in its native Russia, and whose popularity has now spread to organizations such as Ford, NASA, Motorola, Unisys, and Rockwell International. Until now, however, no comprehensive, comprehensible treatment, suitable for self-study or as a textbook, has been available in English. Engineering of Creativity provides a valuable opportunity to learn and apply the concepts and techniques of TRIZ to complex engineering problems. The author-a world-renowned TRIZ expert-covers every aspect of TRIZ, from the basic concepts to the latest research and developments. He provides step-by-step guidelines, case studies from a variety of engineering disciplines, and first-hand experience in using the methodology. Application of TRIZ can bring high-quality-even breakthrough-conceptual solutions and help remove technical obstacles. Mastering the contents of Engineering of Creativity will bring your career and your company a remarkable advantage: the ability to formulate the best possible solutions for technical systems problems and predict future developments.

As with any art, science, or discipline, natural talent is only part of the equation. Consistent success stems from honing your skills, cultivating good techniques, and hard work. Design engineering, a field often considered an intuitive process not amenable to scientific investigation, is no exception. Providing descriptive theory, broad context, and practical examples, Design Engineering: A Manual for Enhanced Creativity explores how to quantify creativity, codify inspiration, and document a process seemingly based solely on intuition. The authors discuss how to clarify the design task, conceptualize candidate solutions, and search for alternatives. They delineate how these phases fit into an industrial context, including engineering product development, and what to consider during design engineering to satisfy all customers. The book discusses activities and methods for performing engineering design work in a rational, reviewable, and documented way, increasing the likelihood of finding an optimal solution. The presentation covers substantiated use of intuition and opportunism as an integral part of rational, systematic, and methodical designing. It examines the influence of other topics on the work, such as psychology, computers, teamwork, application of methods, and education. The authors recommend that results from these less systematic activities be brought into the rational and systematic framework to document the results. Based on the authors' extensive industrial experience, the book elucidates a coherent body of knowledge of design engineering. The book clearly details an easily applicable theory that not only gives you solid design tools, but can also be adapted to any existing design situation.