Engineering Product Design Project | 2025 | MYP 4

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Project Overview

This project focused on designing and developing a physical habit tracker to help high school students improve time management, build positive daily routines, and reduce procrastination. The solution combines product design principles with human-centered engineering to create an interactive, reusable, and engaging tool that encourages long-term habit formation while reducing digital distractions.

Project Objective

The objective was to develop a non-digital habit tracking system that enables students to organize their daily routines, monitor their progress, and build positive habits through an intuitive and interactive physical product. The project aimed to improve consistency, self-discipline, and overall well-being using thoughtful engineering design.

Final Product

The final product is a portable wooden habit tracker featuring a dual tracking system that allows users to monitor both daily and long-term habits. It incorporates a dry-erase writing surface for customizable habits, mechanical tracking switches for daily progress, and a monthly bead-tracking mechanism that visually reinforces consistency over time. Designed to be reusable, lightweight, and distraction-free, the product provides an engaging alternative to digital habit-tracking applications.

Engineering Design Process

The project followed a structured engineering design process, progressing through Problem Identification | User Research | Product Analysis | Concept Development | CAD Modelling | Prototype Development | Manufacturing | Product Testing | User Evaluation | Design Improvements. Each stage contributed to refining the final solution by incorporating user feedback, evaluating design alternatives, and improving functionality, usability, manufacturability, and overall product performance.

Materials & Technologies Used

Materials Pine Wood | MDF Wood | Wooden Beads | Dry-Erase Surface | 3D Printed Components | Wood Polish & Adhesives

Software & Tools Fusion 360 | Laser Cutter | 3D Printer |Table Saw | Hand Drill | Sanding & Finishing Tools

Engineering Concepts

This project applied several engineering and product design principles, including Human-Centered Design, Product Design, Ergonomics, CAD Modelling, Rapid Prototyping, Material Selection, Design for Manufacturing (DFM), Sustainability, User Testing, and Iterative Design to create an effective and practical solution for everyday use.

Key Features

  • Dual habit-tracking system for daily and monthly progress
  • Interactive mechanical switches for tactile feedback
  • Dry-erase surface for customizable habit tracking
  • Visual progress tracking using color-coded beads
  • Lightweight, portable, and reusable design
  • Non-digital solution to reduce screen distractions

Skills Developed

Throughout this project, I strengthened my skills in Engineering Design, CAD Modelling (Fusion 360), Product Development, Research & User Analysis, Rapid Prototyping, 3D Printing, Laser Cutting, Manufacturing Techniques, Testing & Evaluation, and Problem Solving while gaining practical experience in transforming user needs into a functional engineering solution.

Key Learning

This project strengthened my understanding of the complete engineering product development cycle, from identifying a real-world problem to researching user needs, developing prototypes, manufacturing the final product, and evaluating its performance. It enhanced my ability to combine engineering principles with user-centered design while reinforcing the importance of iterative testing, material selection, and continuous improvement in developing practical solutions.