Assessing Whether Engineering Students Are People-Focused or Thing-Focused

Engineers are often perceived as focusing more on the technical aspects of a product instead of on the users. Design methodologies such as human-centred design and co-design attempt to shift this focus from the artifact or device to the people who require the design. This study aims to develop a methodological approach to examine structured reflections to assess whether a student is people-focused or thing-focused. The weekly reflections of two summer students working on an accessibility project were categorized on a four-point scale and further analyzed based on the project phases. The results revealed that as the project progressed, there was a statistically significant shift in focus from people to things (p <.05). Individual differences were also observed, with one participant showing a stronger focus on client requirements while the other emphasized user needs. The findings suggest that engineering education could incorporate approaches promoting people-focus throughout the design process, particularly in later stages, to improve usability and technical feasibility. As this is a pilot study intended to develop a methodological approach, the small sample limits the generalizability of the findings, and future research will expand the sample size and validate an instrument.