Final answer:
Option 4. The design phase is key in identifying technical problems that may require additional investigation. It involves detailed specification development and might reveal complexities needing further research. This phase is critical for evolving concepts into actionable implementation strategies.
Step-by-step explanation:
The phase in a project's life span that helps to identify certain technical problems and issues which may require additional investigation is design. During this phase, the project team develops a detailed design from the concept that was selected earlier, considering various constraints and requirements. Many technical problems can emerge during this time, as it involves refining the concept, selecting detailed specifications, and preparing for implementation. Should the design reveal certain complexities or potential issues, further investigation would indeed be necessary to resolve these before progressing to the next stage, which is implementation.
When discussing large-scale problems that engineers face, it is crucial to consider multiple aspects such as scientific, ethical, economic, and legal dimensions. For example, the economic aspects could influence material choices, while ethical aspects may pertain to the environmental impact of the project.
When engineers search for ideas during the design process, they often engage in brainstorming which is an internal idea generation technique. Moreover, breaking down complex design problems into subproblems is essential because this makes the overall problem more manageable, and each subproblem contributes towards solving the overall design challenge.