Designing a good design project for engineering students can greatly impact their motivation and learning. A new framework based on the expectancy-value theory helps instructors create effective design experiences. This theory focuses on students' beliefs about their abilities and the reasons they have for completing tasks. The framework was tested in a Systems Dynamics course at Washington State University, where a survey was used to assess student motivation. The results showed that the framework can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of design projects and identify areas for improvement.