Engineering Strategies & Practice (ESP)

• Projects are most successful when clients take an active role in the design process.
• Project Clients are responsible for accomplishing the following tasks:
  • Working with U of T staff to develop the scope of your project.
  • Meeting with your project team in the Winter term (late January).
  • Meeting with your project team at least one additional time during the semester for project updates.
  • Directing your team to the appropriate resources and the appropriate contacts within your organization.
  • Attending your team’s final presentation (optional).
    • Presentations will be held in April at the University of Toronto.
• As an ESP client, you are not obligated to implement the design the students develop. Our goal is to make sure the students learn how to design a product or service and to ensure that you, as a client, receive useful ideas and information.
• We expect that you’ll be pleased with the results and find them useful as you pursue your project!

• Projects may involve designs for a facility, a process or a device.
• Students have successfully completed:
  • space redesigns
  • equipment designs
  • accessibility designs
  • inventory systems
  • virtual facilities
  • energy and time-saving systems.
• Feel free to browse the examples of successful designs above.

• The student design process aims at producing a partial prototype that demonstrates the features of the solution.
• As a client you can expect our students to take this project very seriously and also to bring a lot of enthusiasm, energy, and creativity to solving the project. You can also expect the students to come prepared for client meetings and calls, and to be respectful of your schedule when contacting you.
• Our students’ design process involves:
  • Understanding your design goals and criteria for success.
  • Conducting in-depth research, including interviewing potential users and analyzing user needs.
  • Developing a design solution that will meet your users’ needs.
  • Producing a partial prototype that demonstrates the features of the solution:
    • The form of this prototype depends on the specific project.
    • Prototypes could include models, drawings, and physical devices.
  • Preparing a final written report and oral presentation for you that presents the research and the proposed solution.
  • In some instances, it may not be possible for a student team to produce a completely finished product. However, they will be able to help you make substantial progress.

Disclaimer: Our students are enthusiastic and hard-working, but they are not yet professional engineers. We expect that they will produce clever and useful solutions to your design issues, but in all cases their work should be carefully reviewed by the client organization. In situations where public safety, financial risk or other serious matters may result from implementation, professional advice is recommended and suggested. U of T and the staff of ESP assumes no liability of any kind.

1. If you would like to volunteer as a client, complete the online Client Submission Form by early December.
2. The ESP Office will contact you to confirm the suitability of your submission.
3. The assigned student team will contact you in late January to schedule the first meeting of the Winter term.

• ESP students undergo sensitivity training and are able to deal with the special needs of your project.
• Many of our previous projects involved accessibility issues and community service environments.