Mind Map
Branch ideas from a central topic to explore connections and discover patterns.
Free toolkit, by framework
Tools for the engineering design process
Classroom engineering challenges
The toolkit’s 44 thinking tools, grouped under the stages of the engineering design process: Ask, Imagine + Plan, Create, Test + Improve and Share. All free, no login, nothing to install.
1Ask
20 toolsPin down the problem, what it must do and what limits it.DiscoverFind out what's really going on.11 tools
Assumption Check
Write what you think you know about your user, plan how to find out, then mark each guess right or wrong.
Interview Planner
Plan open questions for a real person, then record what they said and what surprised you.
What / How / Why
Watch someone do the task: note what they do, how they do it, then guess why.
Walk in Their Shoes
Try your user's task with one thing changed, and log what was hard, how it felt and how you got round it.
Empathy Map
Map what users say, think, do, and feel to build deep understanding.
Journey Map
Trace a user's experience step by step to find pain points and opportunities.
Stakeholder Map
Identify who your design affects and what they need from it.
User Persona
Create a fictional user profile based on real research data.
Target Audience Profile
Define who you're designing for — demographics, needs, and context.
Biomimicry Canvas
Look to nature for design inspiration and sustainable solutions.
DefineSay exactly what you're solving.9 tools
Affinity Diagram
Group and organize ideas into natural clusters to find themes.
Five Whys
Dig to the root cause of a problem by asking "why?" five times.
Fishbone Diagram
Map all possible causes of a problem in a structured visual.
SWOT Analysis
Evaluate Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats.
Concept Map
Connect concepts with labeled relationships to show understanding.
Systems Map
Visualize how parts of a system interact and influence each other.
Design Criteria
Set clear success criteria your design must meet.
User Story Mapping
Map user needs as "As a... I want... So that..." stories.
Point of View Statement
Distill your research into a clear problem statement.
2Imagine + Plan
8 toolsBrainstorm solutions and look at what others have done. Choose a design and sketch it.SCAMPER
7 thinking strategies to transform existing ideas into new ones.
Lotus Diagram
Expand a central idea into 8 themes, then 8 sub-ideas each.
Reverse Brainstorm
Brainstorm bad ideas first, then flip them into real solutions.
Morphological Chart
Combine features across categories to generate novel combinations.
Brainstorm Web
Free-form idea generation with visual web connections.
Tree Diagram
Break big ideas into smaller branches of sub-ideas.
Brainwrite
Silent brainstorming: write, pass, build on others' ideas.
Six Thinking Hats
Look at a problem from 6 different thinking perspectives.
3Create
7 toolsBuild a model or a prototype.Value Proposition Canvas
Map how your design creates value for users.
Design Sprint Planning
Plan a focused 5-day design sprint process.
Mood Board
Collect visual inspiration to guide your design direction.
Storyboard
Sketch a sequence showing how users interact with your design.
Design Specification
Document detailed technical requirements for your design.
Iteration Tracker
Track changes and improvements across design iterations.
Quick Sketch
Rapid sketching with timer to explore ideas visually.
4Test + Improve
9 toolsTest it and collect the data. Change the design from what the test showed.PMI Chart
Evaluate ideas by listing Plus, Minus, and Interesting points.
Decision Matrix
Score options against weighted criteria to make informed choices.
Dot Voting
Democratic prioritization: everyone gets limited votes.
Pairwise Comparison
Compare options head-to-head in pairs to find the best.
Feedback Capture Grid
Organize feedback into likes, wishes, questions, and ideas.
Impact/Effort Matrix
Plot ideas on a 2×2 grid of impact vs effort to prioritize.
Assessment Rubric
Build rubrics for self, peer, or teacher assessment.
Peer Assessment
Structured peer feedback with sentence starters.
Portfolio Review
Reflect on your portfolio with structured self-evaluation.
5Share
2 toolsExplain the solution and how you got there.Storyboard
Sketch a sequence showing how users interact with your design.
Portfolio Review
Reflect on your portfolio with structured self-evaluation.
How it lines up with the others
Engineering design process beside five other frameworks, stage by stage. Compare them →
Where these stages come from
The stage names are the framework’s own (NASA); which tools sit under each is our reading. Engineering Design Process, NASA ↗
Use them with a class
Inside StudioLoom these tools sit in your lessons and every student’s work is kept. Get started →