Think Like an Engineer

Engineers design solutions under real limits. A great idea still has to work with the materials, time, safety needs, cost, and people involved.

The Challenge

Design a paper bridge that spans 25 centimeters and holds as many coins as possible using only two sheets of paper and 30 centimeters of tape.

How an Engineer Thinks

• Define: What problem are we solving?
• Constraints: What limits must the solution follow?
• Imagine: What are several possible designs?
• Build: Make a version you can test.
• Test: What fails first? What evidence do you collect?
• Improve: Change the design for a reason.

Your Turn

Sketch three possible bridge designs before building. Predict which one will hold the most weight and explain why.

What Did You Notice?

What part failed first? Was the problem the material, shape, connection, or load placement? What would version two change?

💡 Funky Tip

Failure during testing is useful information. Engineers want to discover weak points before the final solution depends on them.

Where Else Could You Use This Thinking?

Building, robotics, transportation, product design, accessibility, water systems, playgrounds, tools, and everyday problems that need a workable solution.

🎒 Take It With You

Problem → constraints → design → build → test → improve.