Congratulations! If you have been following this processes linearly, you're half way done! The next challenge is to choose the solution that best addresses the problem you originally set out to solve. This step is about moving from creativity and possibility to focus and practicality. Engineers rarely have unlimited time, money, or resources, so narrowing down options to the most effective solution is essential.
To do this, engineers typically evaluate each potential solution against the requirements and constraints defined earlier in the process. Think of it like a checklist:
Solutions that don’t meet these criteria are set aside, even if they are clever or interesting.
This step directly ties back to problem identification because the “best” solution isn’t just the one that looks the most innovative or exciting—it’s the one that actually solves the original problem. For example, if the identified problem was that a community needs a reliable source of clean drinking water, the best solution is the one that provides safe water consistently, within the community’s budget and environmental limitations. A design that looks impressive but is too expensive or too complex for the community to maintain would not truly address the problem.
In practice, engineers often use decision-making tools to guide this step, such as decision matrices or weighted scoring systems. These tools allow teams to compare multiple solutions systematically and reduce bias. The process also usually involves discussion, debate, and collaboration, since different team members may value criteria differently.
This step highlights the importance of connecting back to the problem definition. It’s easy to get carried away with an idea that seems fun or creative, but engineering is about solving real-world challenges in effective, sustainable, and practical ways. Selecting the best solution ensures that the design process stays grounded in the needs of the people and systems you’re designing for.
Imagine you and your classmates are given a design challenge: build a bridge out of popsicle sticks that can hold at least 10 pounds. You’ve already gone through the earlier steps — identified the problem (a bridge strong enough to hold weight), defined requirements and constraints (limited materials, size restrictions, time limit), and brainstormed several designs (a simple beam bridge, a truss bridge, and an arch-shaped bridge).
Now comes Step 5: Select the Best Solution.
Your team can’t just pick the design that looks the coolest — you need to compare each option to your original problem statement and constraints. For example:
When you evaluate each idea against the criteria from Step 1 (problem identification) and Step 2 (requirements and constraints), the truss bridge comes out on top. It might not be the flashiest option, but it has the best chance of solving the problem within the project limits.
By making this choice, your team stays focused on the original challenge — designing a bridge that actually works under the conditions given. This is the essence of selecting the best solution: ensuring that your design meets the real needs of the problem, not just your preferences.