Engineering design in cross-cultural contexts is shifting from object-oriented material practices to human-oriented comprehensive practices that encompass both material and immaterial aspects. Contemporary engineering design not only needs to actively engage with the evolution and expansion of material aspects such as new materials, technologies, structures, and functionalities but also requires involvement in discussions of immaterial aspects such as culture and user experience. However, the technocratic rationality engineering thinking tends to overlook user experience, leading to a limited understanding of cultural values in different social contexts and failing to drive societal transformation towards a sustainable future. This paper aims to introduce design thinking into contemporary engineering activities and intervene in the immaterial aspects of engineering design from a holistic perspective. The paper defines the concepts of contemporary engineering and engineering design, discusses the limitations of technocratic rationality engineering thinking, analyzes the necessity of incorporating immaterial aspects in engineering design in cross-cultural contexts, and constructs the basic framework of design-driven engineering design thinking, provides a new approach for design-driven engineering activities to intervene in immaterial aspects.