Are you a designer or an engineer? We are both. An insight into product design engineering through graduate reflection

This study was developed to understand the relationship between Product Design Engineering education and Product Design Engineers in industry. It is the intention of the authors to communicate data gathered from Product Design Engineering graduates from Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne, Australia, to better determine the roles and responsibilities of a Product Design Engineer in the workforce. This information provides a learning platform for other Product Design Engineering programs, as well as create a greater understanding in industry as to what a Product Design Engineer can contribute to product development or manufacturing industries. The overall objective of this research is to continually improve Product Design Engineering education around the world to align closely with industry expectations and to differentiate Product Design Engineers from Industrial Designers and Mechanical Engineers. With this aim, a focus group and survey-based data collection of Product Design Engineering graduates was completed to provide a greater understanding of the roles a Product Design Engineer has in a professional context.