TESTING of the model or prototype  may  range  from  simply  actuating  it  and ob- serving its function to attaching extensive instrumentation to accurately measure dis- placements,  velocities,  accelerations,  forces,  temperatures,  and  other  parameters.   Tests may need to be done under controlled environmental conditions such as high or low tem- perature or humidity. The microcomputer has  made  it possible  to  measure  many phe- nomena   more  accurately   and  inexpensively   than  could  be done  before.

Production

Finally, with enough time, money, and perseverance, the design  will  be  ready  for pro- duction.  This  might  consist  of  the  manufacture  of  a single  final  version  of  the  design, but more likely  will  mean  making  thousands  or even  millions  of your  widget.  The dan- ger, expense, and embarrassment of finding flaws in your  design  after  making  large quantities of defective devices should  inspire  you  to use  the  greatest  care  in the  earlier steps  of  the  design  process   to ensure  that  it is properly  engineered.

The  design   process   is widely  used  in  engineering. Engineering   is usually   defined in terms of what an engineer  does,  but  engineering  can  also  be  defined  in terms  of  how the  engineer   does  what  he or she does.  Engineering is as much  a method,  an  approach, a process, a state of mind for problem solving,  as  it is an  activity.  The  engineering  ap- proach  is that  of thoroughness,  attention  to detail,  and  consideration  of all  the possibili- ties. While it may seem a contradiction in terms to emphasize "attention to detail" while extolling the virtues of open-minded, freewheeling, creative thinking, it is not. The  two activities are not only compatible, they are symbiotic. It ultimately does no good to have creative, original ideas  if  you  do  not,  or cannot,  carry  out  the  execution  of  those ideas and "reduce them to practice." To do this you must  discipline  yourself  to  suffer the nitty-gritty, nettlesome,  tiresome  details  which  are  so necessary  to the completion  of any one phase of the  creative  design  process.  For  example,  to do  a creditable  job  in the de- sign  of anything,  you  must  completely  define  the problem.   If you  leave  out  some  detail of the problem  definition,  you  will  end  up  solving  the  wrong  problem.  Likewise, you must thoroughly research the background information relevant to the problem. You must exhaustively pursue conceptual potential solutions to your problem. You must  then  ex- tensively analyze these concepts for validity. And,  finally,  you  must  detail  your chosen design down to the last nut and bolt to be confident it will work. If you wish to be a good designer and engineer, you must discipline  yourself  to do things  thoroughly  and in a  log- ical, orderly manner, even while thinking  great  creative  thoughts  and  iterating  to a  solu- tion. Both attributes, creativity and attention to detail, are necessary for success  in  engi- neering  design.