Thinking about a system and systems thinking in engineering

In engineering design courses, on the other hand, students engage in “design thinking.” In a traditional design process, one of the fi rst steps is engaging clients or customers to determine their expectations. If “systems thinking” is folded into the design process, students explore a much broader design space than the one represented by the needs of the customer. Thus, integrating systems thinking into design clarifi es the rich context in which engineering design occurs.