Invite your sponsors!!!
Design reviews prevent errors, saving your time. Your instructor, sponsor,
and students in other teams evaluate your progress. You will also be evaluated
on the helpfulness of your comments on the other groups during their reviews.
Requirements for Design Review I
Written Report
This report describes in detail the background to the problem, the design problem, customer requirements, engineering specifications, problem analysis, and product development plan. Here is a possible format:
Title Block: Cover page with the course name and semester, project
title, team name, team members, section instructor, and date. You may want
to specify that this is the first design review. The order of these and
placement is up to your judgement. Some art work for the cover page is
welcome but not required.
Executive Summary: This is a one page write-up that states the problem,
the specifications, problem analysis, and your plan. It should be concise
while giving all the details. This should be placed right after the cover
page in your report.
Table of Contents: With page numbers.
Introduction: Introduce the project. Some questions you want to answer
are: Who is the company and what is its background? What is the background
of the project or design problem? What do they want done and why does it need
to be done? What significance or impact will the design have if the project
is successful? Be sure to include pictures (within the text) to help
descriptions and reader understanding.
Specifications: Describe the specifications. A QFD is required unless
you have obtained permission to use another tool. Discuss the customer
specifications and how these translate into engineering requirements. What
are the target values for the engineering specifications and how where
they determined? What is the relationship between the customer requirements
and the engineering specifications? How does the competition compare?
Include a QFD chart but make sure to describe how the QFD chart was developed
(where you got the information from) and why the information is significant.
Be sure to include pictures within the text to help in descriptions and reader
understanding.
Concept Generation: Describe the concepts generated and the methods you
used to generate these concepts. You can describe your concept generation
methods by giving a few examples but put most concepts you have generated
in a well documented appendix. Note that appendix is still part of your
document and should be well written. Be sure to document all the concepts
you have generated between the text and appendix even the obviously
infeasible ones.
Concept Selection: Describe the methods used to select the concept
chosen. You should use concept selection matrices and concept scoring matrices
unless you have gotten permission to use another tool. Please also show
the detail of your selection methods and at least five top concepts. Make
sure to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of at least
the top five concepts. Make a strong OBJECTIVE argument why the concept you
have chosen is best, making sure to mention the weakness of the concept
along with the strong points.
Concept Description: Describe the chosen concept in detail. Make
sure to make a layout drawing showing how subsystems interact and fit
together. Give an operational diagram showing visually the concept
being used and the different stages of its operation. Make sure to
describe in the text what is being demonstrated in each picture.
Plan: What are your initial plans? What are your milestones? What are
the task that need to be done, in what order, when and by whom? Give as
many details as possible. Use the tools discussed in in class (DSM, Gantt,
and Pert Charts) unless you have obtained permission to use another tool.
Information Sources: What information have you gathered? Where did
you get it? What other information do you need? How are you going to get it?
Problem Analysis: Analyze the specifications and chosen concept together.
What is hard about this design? What are the design "drives" or the
critical parts? What are the major problems and how are you attaching them?
In there anything special you will need in doing this? With what do you
especially want help and advice?
Conclusion: Wrap up your report by summarizing all the customers. This
may be the only part that your sponsor reads so make it good.
Reference List: Give a full list of references you have used. Be sure
to reference your interview and information sources.
Oral Report
This is an oral presentation hitting the highlights of the written report. The format should be similar but more concise. Use good visuals to aid the listener in understanding. You want to get across what is the problem and why does it need to be solved, what are the specific engineering requirements you are going to try to meet, what concept do you plan on using to meet those requirements and what problems do you foresee in achieving the requirements or with development of the concept.Three Dimensional Model
Bring to the design review a three-dimensional model of the concept chosen. This model does not need to be to scale but should get across the basic form of concept. It can be made of any material.
Organize each of these requirements well and EDIT!!! to
present a clear picture. Part of your grade will be on how well you
present (both written and oral) your report. Be brief but make sure to
present enough information to get the point across so people can
actually help. Expect and ask for criticism: you are here to find your
mistakes while there is time to correct them so be honest and open with
your work.
Use pictures and charts as much as possible to save time and space
but make sure to explain each. Put numerical specifications, information
sources lists, etc. on view graphes, handouts and wall charts. Don't
read them aloud but do give the reviewers time to read them and ask
questions and make comments.
Don't argue, either as a reviewer or when being reviewed: it wastes
time. Try to learn from what other people say rather than trying to prove
then wrong - reviews are for you to learn from others.
Remember that each team member must present orally at least once a term
and it is much better if each presents several times.
What is the main customer need?
What are the major objectives/goals of the project?
Are all the customer requirement stated?
Are there any codes, laws or standards which must be followed or met?
Which customer requirements must be met and which ones are just "nice" to have?
Have all the customer requirements being translated into
engineering requirements?
Have all the engineering requirements been quantified?
Has the problem being approached before? What are the new developments?
alternations, modifications will be made?
What is the main competition or "how" is it being done now?
Has a realistic schedule for completing the project been set up?
What is the critical path?
Do you have enough people?
Do you have enough time?
Do you have enough money?