This study contextualized the use of the engineering design process by providing descriptions of how each element in a design process was integrated in an eleventh grade industry and engineering systems course. The guiding research question for this inquiry was: How do students engage in the engineering design process in a course where technology and engineering intersect? Data to address this question were collected during six weeks of observation and discussions with students at a suburban high school of 1500 students. Additional data were obtained from student and teacher generated documents, such as lesson plans, handouts, student journals, reports and presentations. This study assumed six critical elements of engineering design: problem definition, development of solutions, analysis/modeling, experimentation, decision making and teamwork. These six elements of an iterative process were derived from a review of engineering design literature and became a lens through which the classroom learning experiences were viewed. Evident in the observations was the theme of student transition from teacher driven problems with narrow boundaries, to student driven problem definition with wide boundaries. In this research, projects started as small individual activities early in the fall term. As the semester progressed, projects became more complex, and a necessity for teamwork emerged. Each activity in the fall provided students with experience and skills in areas of engineering design and material fabrication. This preparation provided a conceptual and practical foundation for the open-ended spring design challenge. (Contains 4 figures and 2 tables.)