Engineering practices include using the engineering design process to solve problems. Students engage with integrated concepts from multiple disciplines and use design thinking to design a solution to an authentic problem. There are multiple model variations of the engineering design process; however, they all share the basic practices of asking questions or defining problems, brainstorming, planning, creating and testing a design, and improving the design. Throughout the process, students are engaged in problem-solving, teamwork, collaboration, and effective communication.

The engineering design process is non-linear and iterative. Flexibility within the engineering design process allows a student to return to a step if needed. Analysis and improvement often result in additional questions or problems that can be solved through additional design process iterations.