Written By: Jack Robertson
Today, we had a wonderful final day at the Bilbao School of Engineering. I not only learned a lot about how engineering products are designed, but also really appreciated the closing reflections that helped wrap up the entire Plus3 Spain experience for me.
To start the day, we had a great lecture on the design process involved in creating a product. The presentation broke it down into several key steps including problem identification, design, analysis, and documentation. While these fundamentals might seem simple at first glance, they form the foundation of any successful engineering product. Personally, I recognize how important it will be to keep building my understanding of this process, especially as I look toward a future career where I might be designing products and following this exact framework.
The presenter also applied this design framework to real-life examples, one of them being a car. He asked us what we thought the first important steps would be in creating a new car, and we responded with things like determining the top speed or designing the exterior. But then he pointed out something we had overlooked, which was identifying who the product is for. This, he explained, is a crucial part of designing anything successfully. If you don’t know your target audience and tailor the product to their needs, no one will want to buy it. That idea really stuck with me, because it’s something I’ll need to keep in mind in my future engineering career. The products I design have to be meaningful and useful to real people, not just technically impressive.
Overall, today was really impactful for my professional development. Learning about how to design products with a specific audience in mind is absolutely essential for my future as an engineer. If I create something that no one wants or needs, then not only will I struggle to succeed, but I’ll also be missing the opportunity to truly help people with what I’ve learned. I hope to carry the lessons from this program, especially what I took away today, into my future career so I can design meaningful, useful products that make a difference for people around the world.
Most importantly, today made me feel incredibly grateful for the opportunity to travel abroad. Saying goodbye to so many amazing people really reminded me how lucky I am to have been able to grow professionally in such a unique and supportive environment. I’ve gained valuable skills, not just in engineering and how to present myself professionally, but also in forming meaningful connections. I’ve made friendships here that I know will last a lifetime.
I want to sincerely thank Nora and Dr. Borovetz for making this incredible experience possible. I know I’ll carry the knowledge and memories from this trip with me for the rest of my life. Plus3 Spain has truly been a life-changing experience, and I’ll always be grateful for it.