Engineering Design Challenge: Invent Something New
A strong invention begins with a problem worth solving—not just a collection of impressive features.
Imagine something that does not exist yet. Your goal is not to promise magic. Your goal is to describe a testable solution and explain how each important feature helps a real user.
I can describe an invention as a testable solution so I can connect design features to a real problem.
- I identify a specific user and problem.
- I connect each major feature to that problem.
- I include a criterion, a constraint, and a fair test.
Move from idea to evidence
Who needs help?
Name the user and describe the problem clearly.
What could work?
Choose features because they serve the user—not because they merely sound futuristic.
How will you know?
Measure one useful result, then use the evidence to improve the design.
This simplified path matches the larger process in the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory engineering design flow chart: engineers define problems, build and test ideas, and improve them.
Model design brief: Quiet Supply Finder
| User and problem | Students lose work time searching through a shared supply bin. |
|---|---|
| Solution | A divided tray with labeled sliding sections and a color refill indicator. |
| Criterion | A user can find the requested item within 10 seconds. |
| Constraint | The device must fit on one shelf and use no electricity. |
| Test | Ask five users to find three named items. Record time and mistakes using the same directions each time. |
The labels and dividers matter because they reduce searching. The test is useful because every user completes the same task, and the result can be measured.
Write your design brief
- Name one specific user.
- Describe a problem the user experiences.
- Explain how your invention works, including its main mechanism.
- State one measurable criterion for success.
- State one realistic constraint, such as size, cost, time, materials, or energy.
- Plan a fair test and say what evidence you would collect.
Vocabulary: A criterion is something a successful design should do. A constraint is a limit the design must follow.
Sentence frame: “My invention helps ___ solve ___. The feature ___ matters because ___. I would test it by ___, and I would revise ___ if ___.”
Check your reasoning
A backpack “does homework, flies, makes food, and never breaks.” What information is missing?
Compare with a model response
The idea does not identify a specific user problem, a realistic constraint, or a measurable test. Revise it by choosing one problem and one feature first. Then add a result you could observe or measure.
Use feedback to revise
- If a feature has no connection to the problem, remove it or explain its purpose.
- If success cannot be observed, rewrite the criterion with a number, time, accuracy level, or clear behavior.
- If the test changes several conditions at once, keep the directions and materials consistent.
- If the design ignores a constraint, change the feature or explain the tradeoff.
Post your design brief in the comments below or use your teacher’s assigned response space. You may sketch on paper or use Canva, but your written explanation should make the design understandable on its own.
Source to explore
See the NASA JPL engineering design process flow chart for a fuller view of the iterative process.
14 Responses
My invention is a smart pencil that assists students in correcting mistakes when writing. It has a little light that turns red when you misspell a word. It must catch at least 8 out of 10 misspelled words. It must cost less than $20. I would try it out by typing in 10 misspelled words and see how many errors it catches.
My invention helps students solve when to drink water during the school day. It has a timer on the water bottle that would have a little light to glow every hour to tell students when to drink water. I would test it by setting it to ring at 1pm from 12am to see if it works. I would make it the right size to fit in the side of a backpack so about about 10 inches tall and 3 inches wide.
My invention helps all people and it solves loosing jewlery. The feature that tracks your jewlery and hooks on to whatever you put it on matters because if you loose the necklace,braclete,anklet,ring and other jewlery pieces you can track it and use the connecter hanger peice so you can find it the next time you want to wear it. I would test it by putting the clear tracker piece on the jewlery piece of my choice and have a person hide it.I will track the piece and use thesmall hanger and stick it in a safe spot like a vanity or next to my keys or just put it in a jewlery box with the tracking chip, and I would revise the jewlery tracker and hanger to make improvements like recreating it in different colors because some people might for get the clear peice is on the so I would make more colors that are noticable.
My invention is a sprinkler that has sensors. I hate when I’m outside minding my own business and then suddenly I get attacked by a sprinkler that just randomly turns on and I become drenched. And that’s a problem because what if you have an interview and you just walk to the location and you’re wearing a suit or a dress or just formal clothes, and then your clothes get ruined because a sprinkler just decides to go off and now you’re drenched and upset. And now how does it work? First do you know, motion sensor lights? Those have a sensor, and when you walk by a motion sensor light the light turns on so you take that mechanism and put it in the sprinkler but instead of it turning on when there is motion they turn off when there is motion. And the price depends on what type of sprinkler it is, so it’s between 40$ to 130$.
My invention is a smart trash can that separates recycling from regular trash automatically. It helps people keep their homes clean and makes recycling easier for them. I would test it by putting different things in and see if it sorts them right.
Students can use my idea to figure out when to drink water during the school day. Students may learn when to drink water by using the timer on the water bottle, which will cause a small light to illuminate every hour. To see if it works, I would set it to ring at 1pm from 12am. I would construct it roughly 10 inches tall and 3 inches wide so that it will fit in the side of a backpack.
My invention is a app, that will be available on phones, ipads, and MacBooks. The app will have your entire closet added on it and a mannequin of yourself to help you pick out outfits that will look good without having to constantly change and make your room messy with clothes all over the floor. The app will allow you to add all of your peices of clothing including shoes, shirts, hoodies, zip ups, pants and shorts. Then it will let you put the clothes on the maniquin of you and lets you see the outfit on yourself. This app will be very convinient for everyone, to help them pick out outfits for important events or just an everyday life.
Students can drink water and The “Hydro Pack” is a solar-powered, filtering water bottle designed for students that purifies tap or river water on the go while keeping track of their daily hydration goals via a built-in digital screen.
One thing that can be a problem is students playing games and not doing work. I can create a new website where if you put it in your students computer no games will be allowed, even if it says it’s a math game it can detect if it is really not a real math game. If this website gets put in your computer it cannot be taken out. This would help schools and most teachers, it can help the students as well because they will have no choice to get their work done since they will not be able to play any games.
My invention helps students who get super tired during the school day and solve the problem of accidentally nodding off or zoning out at their desks. The feature of a stealth vibrating wristband matters because it gives you a tiny, quiet pulse to snap you back to attention whenever a built-in tilt sensor detects your head drooping down for more than 5 seconds. I would test it by sitting at a desk and letting my head drop 10 times to see if it catches every single nod, and I would revise the wristband strap to use a softer fabric if it feels uncomfortable to wear all day. For my successful invention, the wristband needs to catch at least 9 out of those 10 head drops during a test. A big rule is that it has to cost less than $15 to make so that middle schoolers can actually afford it. Also, the battery needs to last for at least 8 hours so it doesn’t die right in the middle of a long class.
My invention helps people solve starvation. The feature makes food this matters because people almost every day starve. I would test it by getting a starving child, and I would revise the project just in case something goes wrong.
My invention helps solve assignments that have no names on them. Each paper has a small barcode stuck onto it that can be scanned to trace back to the student that owns it. It matters because countless of times teachers get assignments turned into them that have no names on it, and that student gets a zero. I would test it by using it in real situations of it happening, testing if the barcode traces back to the right person, and I would revise the way its stuck onto the paper if it ever comes off.
The thing I wanted to make clothes that can make any size to wear. like if people are skinny it will fit and like big people and it will fit.i want to make this because people have a hard time fitting clothes and when they do a lot of days can go by and they will not fit any more so I want to make this so people wont wast there time buying a lot of clothes.and I have this strugle a lot because I am tall.and I am going to make it so tall short and skinny and big people can fit any clothes they want.and it comes in a lot of colors and it comes in shirts.so I will make this so people wont have to buy so many clothes that will fit for a few days and these pants and shirts will fit for 8 years so you wont buy a lot of clothes and the pants will cost 9 dollers.and the shirts will be the same price.
My invention is a lamp that changes color depending on what you need to do throughout your day. For example, if you need to get up on time, the lamp will light up and stay on until you get up and turn off the alarm; it even includes a camera to check whether you are actually awake. If you tend to forget things or the plans you’ve made, this lamp can make your daily life easier it changes color for each activity you have scheduled, just in case you happen to forget.