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Chapter 13 Designing the World through Engineering
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EThlogies,that
ach day people interact with countless tech-
no are designed through engineering.
ese technologies, which may be products,
systems, or processes, infl our quality of life. fluence fl
The home we live in, the car we drive, the cell phone
we use to communicate, and medical technologies all
impact our ability to live enjoyable and healthy lives.
At times our input might be solicited to inform the
design of new technologies, Figure 13-1. However, in
most instances, others create products that we then
purchase, use, and evaluate to determine if they are
effective, high-quality, and safe for us and the envi-
ronment. Therefore, understanding the designed
world is vital in order to be an informed citizen.
The Designed World
One distinction between humans and other
living organisms is our ability to create new technol-
ogies, driven by our desire to fulfill needs and wants. fi
Some animals have been observed to use tools, but
humans are unique in that they design and make
tools and technologies that do not currently exist.
Designing can broadly be described as taking
what does not currently exist in the natural world
and creating it. This has resulted in the designed
world, which encompasses anything created by d
humans that is not represented in the natural world.
The natural world includes rocks, plants, trees, and
animals, Figure 13-2. Without humans designing or
intervening, the natural world would remain as it is.
Humans have been creating the designed world
for thousands of years. Initially, they created tech-
nologies largely for survival, Figure 13-3. These tech-
nologies included rudimentary shelters to survive the
natural elements to tools used for hunting, gathering,
and protection. By examining different technological
artifacts, one can understand what life was like
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Figure 13-1. A focus group is a group of people tasked to
participate in a discussion about a particular product or topic
in order to provide valuable feedback on the product or topic.
Andrew Mayovskyy/Shutterstock.com
Figure 13-2. The natural world.
Andrey Burmakin/Shutterstock.com
Figure 13-3. Early technologies were created mostly to
enhance survivability.