Discussion on switching from design to engineering

Sharing my personal opinion: I’m not in the design field. Usually, those who work in design are involved in the construction phase, and this can give the impression that their work is merely theoretical; they’re unable to oversee and coordinate the project on site, which likely results in higher costs.

I do have a suggestion: keep working on the design, and find some time to go to the site to get familiar with the conditions there. Actually, design is a really good major. Don’t give up easily. I work for a construction company; sometimes I see that the senior engineers from design firms come up with quite scientific and reasonable ideas. When you have time, try to spend more time interacting with the senior engineers at your own company. Personal advice, for reference only

Those who come from design institutes to carry out construction work are what we call \"academics\" – they have high ideals but lack practical skills, talk endlessly about theory, yet mess things up when it comes to actual work on site. Two major mistakes: First, an overemphasis on following rules strictly, which leads to rigidity and a lack of flexibility. Second, a lack of flexibility and poor coordination skills when dealing with issues; particularly, construction companies tend to be arrogant and refuse to listen to other opinions. In the end, those who are left alone end up returning to design work or having to take on other administrative tasks. It’s not an isolated case; the words may be harsh, but there’s no malice behind them. First, determine your own position before considering a career change in construction; everything starts from scratch.

Engineering and design are essentially inseparable. For example, a chemical plant is designed first; construction can only proceed after the blueprints are available. The advancement, adaptability, reliability, and safety of a project largely depend on the skill level of the designers, while the quality of the project’s installation and manufacturing depends on the competence of the constructors. As the language of a project, it is crucial that constructors are able to fully comprehend and understand the design plans. For this reason, a project design also requires the assignment of design representatives to assist with the construction process. From my personal experience, in today’s design field, design still involves a collective effort that combines both semi-empirical and theoretical aspects, as well as physical labor.

3D movies. A project is actually like a 3D movie! Design, construction, management, supervision… all are involved in the production process. Every part is essential! The original poster seems to think that working on engineering is more comfortable; in fact, design plays a decisive role in engineering. It’s like the screenwriter of a movie. To write a good work, a screenwriter needs to accumulate many elements from life! For designers to be able to create high-quality engineering works, they also need to accumulate a great deal of experience. Experience in design, construction, and so on is all very important. In my opinion, a screenwriter is just a screenwriter; there’s no need to always think about becoming a director. Each does its own job. Being able to create good designs is also a way of contributing to this 3D movie! There’s no need to necessarily be an actor to experience this space. It’s quite interesting to take a look outside as well!

The relationship between design and engineering is similar to that between theory and practice. To be a good designer, one must understand how actual projects are carried out; otherwise, many simple mistakes will be made. It is best to have an experienced mentor guiding the design process, as they possess extensive practical experience that can be taken into account in the design.

It’s the first time I’ve really spoken about the transition from design to construction. Many people want to switch from construction to design work; you should think this through carefully. Gaining experience is certainly important, but once you’ve acquired it, you might find that there’s not much more to learn. I suggest you spend more time on site, but don’t give up on design work either.

I used to work in design, and now I am indeed involved in construction work. No matter what one does, the key is to have a clear sense of direction in mind and to base actions on objective reality. However, I personally believe that without even knowing the specific design of flanges and tees, it’s impossible to create anything decent; the drawings are full of errors and cannot be used in practice. In the project I’m working on now, the number of on-site design representatives is roughly equal to the number of construction management staff. Of course, there aren’t many projects that allow for such an investment. If you really want to become a designer, it’s better to spend more time on site, and avoid a casual attitude – you need to put in a lot of effort.

Doing engineering is actually quite simple; it just requires paying attention to details – you just need to go to the construction site and take a look

Doing construction work is quite exhausting; it’s even more tough when you’re the contractor. Design work, on the other hand, is relatively simpler.