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ProtoForge — an engineering-design world of prototypes and trade-offs

🎓 Ages 15–18 · Grades 9–12 · Engineering Design

ProtoForge

Engineering is choosing under constraints — and there’s a logic to picking well. Read a real design challenge, predict the best option, and see the reasoning worked out — no jargon, no lectures, nothing sent anywhere.

Open the Design Bench Trade-Off Lab

Start here

The Design Bench Read a real challenge — a drone frame, a load-bearing cable — predict the best design under its constraints, then a pure engine scores every option. The Trade-Off Lab Is there a single "best" material? Predict the pick for four purposes, then watch four different materials win — the Pareto frontier. Teach the Cast Teach a design idea to a near-peer still learning it — teaching makes it stick. Concept Practice 16 kits from the design process to constraints, trade-offs, materials & testing.

All activities

Design & decide

The Design Bench Predict the best design under its constraints, judge genuine trade-offs, or check the factor of safety — a pure engine scores it. The Trade-Off Lab Four purposes, four winning materials — the Pareto frontier shows there’s no one best design, only best-for-the-job (NGSS HS-ETS1-3).

Practice & teach

Teach the Cast A near-peer engineer is still learning a move — teach it and catch their misconception. Mixed Practice A short round across the kits you have played, brought back to review (spaced so it sticks). Progress Your levels and how each strand is coming along — saved only on this device.
Concept Kits — 16 kits of engineering design

The design process, constraints, trade-offs, materials & testing — anchored to the engineering-design standards. Hints when you want them; progress stays on this device.

Kit 1: What Is Engineering Design? the design process · 25 questions Kit 2: Define the Problem criteria & constraints · 25 questions Kit 3: Requirements & Specifications measurable specifications · 25 questions Kit 4: Concept Selection brainstorm & choose among concepts · 25 questions Kit 5: Trade-offs & Optimization balance competing criteria · 25 questions Kit 6: Modeling & Prototyping model before you build · 25 questions Kit 7: Testing & Data test + collect data · 25 questions Kit 8: Failure Analysis why it broke · 25 questions Kit 9: Iteration & Redesign improve + retest · 25 questions Kit 10: Materials & Tolerances pick materials to spec · 25 questions Kit 11: Forces & Loads structures: stress & load paths · 25 questions Kit 12: Energy & Efficiency systems: energy + efficiency · 25 questions Kit 13: Cost & Budget design within budget · 25 questions Kit 14: Systems & Interfaces parts must fit + work together · 25 questions Kit 15: Human Factors & Sustainability users + environment · 25 questions Kit 16: Design Challenge Capstone design + defend under constraints · 25 questions

Who you’ll meet

Not mascots — everyday engineers, each one showing a single design idea in action. You’ll run into them at the Design Bench.

  • Cade — optimizes a design against a weighted objective
  • Rhea — shows how the winner changes when the weights change
  • Tori — filters out designs that break a hard constraint
  • Bex — spots the dominated option no one should pick
  • Dagny — maps the Pareto frontier — the real trade-offs
  • Iggy — checks the factor of safety before it ships
  • Mala — catches the under-designed part that’s too close to the edge
  • Sy — filters feasibility FIRST, then optimizes
  • Dov — knows a trade-off can’t be erased, only chosen
  • Enzo — the mentor — sets the challenge, works the numbers, guides reflection

How it works

ProtoForge is written to trust you — it’s about the reasoning, not memorizing terms, and a wrong prediction is just a place to learn. There’s no single "best" design, only best-for-a-purpose. Your progress is saved only on this device: no accounts, nothing sent anywhere.

More ways to play

Proto Run Cost & Performance