TO DESIGN A MACHINE THEORY PART NEEDED
Machine Element Design is the application stage after the theory (Engineering mechanics, solid mechanics, Theory of machines, Theories of failure etc.), I'll say that it is the crucial stage of 'connecting the dots'. All that you learned in the previous courses might have come out arbitrary and dispersed, but this is the stage where you recognize those 'patterns' in a system and apply those concepts. It is like an archaeologist stepping into the pyramids. It's that fascinating stuff. So my advise would be that FIRST recall the theory part in case you've forgotten. That is to say: get your tools ready else you'll lose patience/interest as you can't recall in middle of the problems. You don't want to go all the way back to your research lab to get the tools! Now, find a quite place like library that gives an atmosphere for the job. And then, start decoding the inscriptions i.e. looking for patterns and connecting the dots!