When I studied CS, we started at the physics level working up our way: transistors, logical gates, 7 segment displays, von-Neumann architecture, ALUs etc. All of this is interesting, but I consider it to be a history lesson. It was also fun to translate programs to assembler and then putting them into registered by hand. This was technical CS. Never needed it again and far removed from current technologies (Modern systems are so much more complex)
When designing hardware I think for prototyping probably a Raspberry Pi, soldering iron, some access to a maker space get you further. If you then want to commercialize it, there are PCB designers and software out there that can help you. But then again it heavily depends on what you want to build.
I assume for hardware engineering even product design could be helpful.