Abstract
Problem formulation is an essential design skill for which assessment methods have been less commonly developed. In order to evaluate the progress of a group of graduate students in mechanical engineering design in regard with the problem formulation skill, they were asked to work on three design problems using the Problem Formulator web tool during their course work. Changes in a set of measures elicited from this data were examined in addition to sketches, simulations, and working prototypes. Inventories of requirements and issues, as well as concepts derived from morphological charts were created to assess designers’ skills and outcomes.