Design in Bioengineering

The design process guides us in translating advances from the laboratory to the real world.

two students standing at lab bench working on their capstone project Bioengineering Design consists of identifying important and unmet needs, innovating and testing solutions through an iterative process, and translating effective solutions into practical use.

Whether explicit or implicit, the design process is used by bioengineers to solve problems from class projects through independent research or capstone courses, in hands-on internships and experiences, and after graduation as leaders and problem solvers in industry and academia. All students must complete a semester of design-focused work to receive their bioengineering degree.

Through a combination of theory and practice, design in bioengineering equips our alumni to lead biomedical innovation and realize effective, efficient, and accessible bioengineering solutions for the 21st century. Learn more about the three steps of the design process:

Needs Finding

To make meaningful impact, bioengineers must first identify meaningful problems.

Needs finding is challenging, with false starts and iterative loops, and can be difficult for new engineers. The bioengineering design process offers a structured, rigorous set of methods for discovering, articulating, prioritizing, and selecting solvable unmet needs.

Once clearly identified and well defined, these meaningful problems become unmet medical needs—ready to be addressed by engineering.

In the Senior Capstone Design Course, Berkeley bioengineers take on medical problems identified through partnerships with clinicians, devoting their senior year to understanding and solving real-world biomedical problems. Through these interactions students also develop skills in communication and professionalism that enhance their success and impact after leaving school.

In independent research, intensive course projects and internships, students are guided by their mentors and supervisors to understand the unmet need addressed by their work.

Practice makes perfect. Practicing out in the ‘real world’ of clinical medicine is the key to becoming an engineer experienced in needs finding and formulation.

Innovation

After identifying biological challenges, we continue the engineering design process to solve problems. This is where analysis and technical problem solving skills learned in courses come together with teamwork and communication to innovate solutions. Here, we learn that innovation can be accelerated and honed through rigorous practice.

Bioengineers doing independent research or immersive projects design research methods, search published studies, prototype, conduct tests, collect and analyze data, troubleshoot, discuss with mentors and peers, compare results, and repeat the process until satisfied with their conclusions.

Students in the Senior Capstone Design course follow their clinical needs-finding work with prototyping and testing, through three intensive engineering design reviews and a presentation of their chosen solution to their clinical partners.

Our goal is to introduce new bioengineers to design using open-ended biological problems, while fostering an environment of interdisciplinary and team-based innovation—much like the environments they will find in the next stages of their careers or training.

Translation

After learning how to identify needs and innovate solutions comes the challenging work of bringing the solutions to the broader world. Our goal is to send students on to their next step of training or employment ready to make an impact.

Some students begin their translation journey early, following their project work from a capstone or lab research project through publication, patents and even startup companies. Successful companies including Eko Devices and Aluna have spun out of UC Berkeley based on unmet needs identified in the capstone course, received FDA approval, and are helping doctors and patients achieve better health.

Berkeley has a wealth of programs available to help young innovators bring their developments to the world, including:

Course credit for research
Summer Engineering Design Scholars Program
Research funding
Innovation contests
Makerspaces
Business & Leadership courses at the Fung and SCET
Engineering Management, Entrepreneurship & Technology joint degree program
Master of Design, Master of Engineering and Master of Translational Medicine degree programs
Campus-based venture capital funds
Startup incubators

Learn about all of these and more at the Berkeley Gateway to Innovation.

How do I complete my design requirement?

There are several ways to complete the bioengineering design or research requirement. The important thing is to start thinking about it early—make a plan before starting your senior year!

Here are ways most students fulfill their design requirement:

BioE 192, the Senior Capstone Design Course

The capstone course in an intensive experience, taking students from needs finding through prototyping, testing, and presentation. The capstone course is only open to bioengineering seniors, is only offered one semester per year and not every year, and is not able to accommodate all 100+ students in each cohort. Hope to take the capstone, but make alternate plans.

Learn more about the capstone course

Extracurricular Research in a Faculty Lab

Most bioengineers do some extracurricular research before they graduate, with many becoming long-term lab members making significant research contributions. Joining a faculty laboratory as a volunteer is a great experience that give students insight into how open-ended research in the real world works. Credit for research through the BioE H194 or BioE 196 independent study courses will fulfill the design requirement. (Note- don't plan to get course credit when you first start volunteering in a lab!)

Read our advice about finding a lab

BioE Project Courses

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Design in Bioengineering

How do I complete my design requirement?