Summer SAVY, Session 1 Day 3, Intro to Chemical Engineering: Engineering With Play Dough (1st-2nd)
It was a wonderful Wednesday to be a Chemical Engineer!
Today, we dove deeply into the roles of chemical engineers in product research. After beginning our morning analyzing and interpreting data, we heard from Jenny, a chemical engineer at Creative Juice Company, who reached out to us with a special request. She was working on product research and needed help choosing the best color for a new strawberry-orange juice flavor.
Using the engineering design process and product development strategies, our team of chemical engineers got started right away. They used food coloring and water to experiment with different juice color combinations, creating their own unique formulas. After testing and refining their mixtures, we chose the top three color samples to move forward in the research.
Our engineers then surveyed another SAVY class to collect data on their favorite color juice. Once the votes were counted, we organized our findings in bar graphs and letters to send back to Jenny.
Throughout the process, our chemical engineers demonstrated creativity and determination as they brainstormed, designed, and refined their ideas for juice color development and research.
We ended the day by creating our own surveys for the Hasbro Play-Doh company. Students developed surveys for the class to complete to determine the best new color, smell, texture, and taste for future Play-Doh varieties. Some may even be put into practice tomorrow!
Dinner table conversation topics for this evening could be:
- How does product research help companies determine which product features consumers prefer and which they do not prefer?
- How do chemical engineers determine and test consumer preferences?
- Why is product research important?
We look forward to continuing this process tomorrow!