Assessment Task 2 Mini Smoker

Setting up your Project Portfolio

The purpose of developing templates for your major project portfolio is to maintain consistency and improve the overall visual presentation. You will develop a series of templates that you will use for each page throughout your portfolio, whether they be text-based, image-based, or a combination of both when completing each section of your portfolio. By ensuring text sizes and alignment of elements on each page are consistent will present your work more professionally. 

Instructions

1. Click on your Google profile image in the top right-hand corner of your screen and click "Manage your Google account". 

2. Search language and change language to English > Australia. This will change all units to metric when using rulers and guides.

3. Open a new Google Slides document.

4. Go to the menu bar and click on File > Page setup > Custom > Enter A4 = 29.7cm x 21cm.

5. Turn on rulers and guides by going to View > Show guides.

6.  Set guides: 1.5cm guide along the left edge of the slide and a 1cm guide along the remaining three edges by clicking, holding, and dragging the relevant vertical and horizontal rulers. 

7. These guides will appear on every additional slide as you begin to construct individual templates for text-based and image-based slides of your Major Project Portfolio.
   
   *Note:  You need to turn guides on each time you re-open your document. Guides will automatically turn off every time you close your work.

What is a statement of Intent?

• This is a specific and detailed statement of what is to be achieved, where and how it is to be done and why you have decided on this particular project.

• You should include who will use the project how will it work and what will it be used for on completion.

• Specify the parameters (or limits) if any, of the design (eg. size, weight, cost, transportability function, aesthetics and the goals you expect to achieve on completion of the project eg. be able to use it at home or sell it for profit or eventually market it).

• The statement of intent provides the foundation for subsequent research and planning, indicating what is contained in the folio and provides information on where the project is heading.

How to write an effective Statement of intent?

Firstly, read through the example given below, then read through the first part of the Design section on the website - up to and including the section on Statement of intent - link here, then grab a piece of paper and read through the questions below and write your best answer to each of these questions.  From these notes you have all that you need to construct a detailed Statement of intent in your folio.

Aim

• What is the project we are designing? Describe the features?

• What purpose is the project trying to achieve? (e.g. alternate cooking option)

• Why are you making the Mini Smoker? (To develop new skills? Need a cooking solution when camping? Is it a requirement for my HSC as outlined by NESA?)

 Design

• Discuss the functional and aesthetic (how something looks) aspects you will apply to your Mini Smoker. 

  • Aesthetics, could be your door, grill or handle design, and use of different materials. Will it match other products?

  • Functionality, could focus on specific aspects such as the handles and baffles or overall functionality

• What skills will you develop by completing the Mini Smoker project (time management, machine or hand tool skills)? Think of machines you will use that are new to you.

• Who is the Mini Smoker being designed for? Or, who will use the Mini Smoker when it is completed? 

Design Constraints

• Discuss time constraints e.g. lesson times, due dates and the impact of unforeseen events.

• Discuss your level of skills and knowledge and how that will influence your design.

• Discuss workshop limitations, e.g. Machine availability

• List the Mini Smoker dimensions and requirements outlined in the assessment task. Include the number of different joinery methods and different manufacturing processes. 

• Justify these limitations with regard to cost, weight and transportability.

The Mini Smoker project will require you to design and manufacture your own grill and handle designs.  If you are thinking about this properly, you will have lots of questions and not many answers. The only way to resolve this situation is through RESEARCH!

There are two broad classes of questions - the first class are the sort that are addressed in your Statement of Intent and it is from these questions that the second group of questions flow.  The first class of questions are things like:  “What is the purpose of the project?” “What do I want it to look like?” “Who will be using it and how will it be used?”  “What do I want to achieve by completing this project?” Once you get these answered and documented in your Statement of Intent, then a second, more practically oriented set of questions emerge.

Before delving into the research, an appropriate approach is to document these questions and see what additional questions emerge.  To do this effectively - it is a 2-step process.

STEP 1. - List all of your questions

STEP 2. - Create a mind map to link and structure your questions

One of the main benefits of a mind map is to identify links between questions - to show how some of your questions lead to further questions and so forth.  The purpose of the research section is to examine possible answers to your questions.  It is important to understand that in the Industrial Technology context - there is not necessarily one right answer, there may be many or one might be more right than others, depending on a range of factors.

To guide you, below is a list of some relevant questions that relate to the drawer component of this project.

Grill

1. What pattern do I want?

2. What machines could I use?

3. What are the limitations of available machines?

4. What will be the most successful/challenging design?

5. How will I manufacture the grill?

6. Are there existing designs I could use/modify?

The answer to some of these questions simply requires a decision on your part, for example: The answer to the question “How” is largely up to you, although you need to justify your answer (have reasons - “I choose to have a single drawer because…..” - this can be in your statement of intent)

These questions will now be visually demonstrated in the form of a Mind Map

A range of different materials are going to be included into your display Mini Smoker project and some cases, you have a choice as to what they exactly are.  Consider your HSC major project, in that context, the choice of materials is largely yours.  But what is meant by “materials”?

In the Industrial Technology Metal context, materials refers to:

1. The metals that could be used in the project: Plate, RHS, SHS, Flat Bar, Round Bar, Mesh

2. Types of ferrous and non-ferrous metals - Mild steel, Bright steel, Stainless Steel, Brass, Copper, Aluminium.

3. Properties of these appropriate metals - Strength, Durability, Ductility, Malleability

4. Finishes that could be used

5. Hinges that could be used

6. Fasteners that could be used

7. Consumables such as MIG wire, Gas, 

Notice the term “that could be”. To an extent, anything is possible, but you will need to research a range of possibilities so you can make an intelligent and informed choice as to what you will actually include in your project.  Your choice should make logical sense to the marker.  You must show through your research, enough information so that it supports your eventual choice - therefore you need to include relevant information and leave out irrelevant information.

For example, if you are researching possible metals and find out that "Galvanised steel" has a protective zinc coating and has great preservative properties against rust which is suitable for outdoor use, it is not a suitable material for cooking food on or welding without appropriate respiratory PPE.

Research of metal materials

In the context of the mini smoker, when researching metals you need to consider a few factors;

1. What metal is available?

2. What are its properties/characteristics? Is it easily joined? Is it safe?

3. How suitable is it for what I want to do with it?  How “workable” is it? Is it easily joined? 

These factors should be mentioned in your research the following slides are some examples of how to present quality research, particularly relating to materials.

Cutting

Machining

Joining

Finishing

The Mini Smoker project will provide experience in a range of industry technology (e.g. tools and machines), used in the processes being carried out at various stages of production. By identifying the tools and equipment used, you will then research the appropriate use and limitations of each and perform basic maintenance procedures to improve safety and efficiency when operating in the workshop. The following list is indicative of the technology you will be using of the course of the Mini Smoker project;

Information on each piece of equipment listed can be found in the Modules section of this website under Workshop Equipment or by clicking the following link.

A critical aspect of project management is to manage effectively the time taken to produce the project.  To do this you need to show the marker proposed steps of production along with information detailing how long the step is intended to take and how long it took. An industry standard tool that is used to manage the project is called a GANTT Chart

A Gantt chart, commonly used in project management, is one of the most popular and useful ways of showing activities (tasks or events) displayed against time. On the left of the chart is a list of the activities and along the top is a suitable time scale. Each activity is represented by a bar; the position and length of the bar reflects the start date, duration and end date of the activity. This allows you to see at a glance:

• What the various activities are

• When each activity begins and ends

• How long each activity is scheduled to last

• Where activities overlap with other activities, and by how much

• The start and end date of the whole project

In the context of Industrial Technology - the Gantt chart that you will develop will list the various steps of production and will also have the following information:

• The proposed beginning and end times of the task (usually represented by a coloured bar)

• The actual beginning and end times of the task (usually represented by a different coloured bar)

• A short annotation or evaluation statement if there is significant variation between the actual and proposed dates/times taken

Sketching is an important skill to be developed and demonstrated very early in the planning stages of the Major Project. Sketching is a visual communication technique that has a range of functions and benefits, such as;

• In the planning stages, a series of simple sketches aids in determining layout and features in a project.  For example, how many doors? Or what sizes and in what proportions? How might different edge treatments look? Should I curve my legs or taper them?  These things can be quickly and easily worked out with a series of simple sketches.

• In the production stage of the project, simple sketches can communicate a problem, or your thinking to the teacher if you are requiring assistance or advice.  It is normal practice in industry to use sketches to communicate thoughts or ideas between workers.  Make a habit of keeping a sketch pad in the workshop with you, especially if you need to write down measurements etc.

• You will be using CAD to produce a model of your project.  It is easier if you have worked out roughly the features and proportions of your project before launching into CAD drawings such as Sketchup. 

• The marker wants to see your development of thinking as you progress from idea, to design through to construction of your Major Project.  Sketches provide evidence to the marker of this progression of thinking.

• You should present a range of sketches, from simple line drawings through to rendered drawings with extensive annotations.  All of your sketches should be annotated.  An example of a quality set of sketches is included on the next slide.  Note the insertion of the Sketchup model to demonstrate the progression of thinking.

Sketching for non-sketchers 

Part of any Design and Technology or Industrial Technology MDP requires a series of sketches to show at least in part, the development of the design. As a non-sketcher myself - this always represents a challenge, but over time I have developed a few tricks to make it easier, more pleasant and more effective means of communicating my ideas. I have included below three pages of sketches showing the development of the sideboard project, from a couple of initial ideas, through to something that will hopefully resemble the finished product.

Some of the tips and tricks that I have found to help me are:

• Use rulers and faint pencil to "crate" the item you are drawing - draw the main components of the object using this technique, you can probably see some faint construction lines in the drawings right.

• Copic markers are worth the investment. I use a super fine 0.05mm marker for line work, I hand "trace" major lines such as legs and outside edges, using those lines as a guide, complete the finer details freehand.

• I also use the superfine copic marker to add feature lines - especially as most of my designing is done for timber projects, it is really good at creating timber grain effects.

• Another challenging technique is rendering, for this I again find Copic markers a joy to use and well worth the investment. For light shading, I use the C1 and the C2 if I need anything darker. I find C3 and above too strong and prefer not to use them. I find them really quick and I only fuss about keeping inside the lines, otherwise they are very forgiving.

• The final area of challenge is written annotations. A pleasant written script can really complement the sketches. I unfortunately can do a great impression of doctors scrawl. My work around is to scan the sketch and clean it up in photoshop. My writing is actually a script font that has had the leading and kerning adjusted - play around with it to see what you like. But there is a little extra. To avoid the suspicious exactness of a font, I use the warp text function, set to wave + or - 2%, it very subtly alters the size of each letter in relation to each other, giving it a more authentic feel.

Sketching is an important skill to be developed and demonstrated very early in the planning stages of the Major Project. 

Sketching is a visual communication technique that has a range of functions and benefits, such as:

• In the planning stages, a series of simple sketches aids in determining the layout and features in a project.  For example, how many doors? Or what sizes and in what proportions? How might different edge treatments look? Should I curve my legs or taper them?  These things can be quickly and easily worked out with a series of simple sketches.

• In the production stage of the project, simple sketches can communicate a problem, or your thinking to the teacher if you are requiring assistance or advice.  It is normal practice in industry to use sketches to communicate thoughts or ideas between workers.  Make a habit of keeping a sketch pad in the workshop with you, especially if you need to write down measurements etc.

• You will be using CAD to produce a model of your project.  It is easier if you have worked out roughly the features and proportions of your project before launching into CAD drawings such as Onshape. 

• The marker wants to see your development of thinking as you progress from idea, to design through to construction of your Major Project.  Sketches provide evidence to the marker of this progression of thinking.

• Your working drawings

A record of processes and procedures is indicative of the name, this section of a folio provides detailed information for each step completed in the construction of a project. The procedure should be concise and detailed enough that a competent metalworker can read the steps and build the project how it was designed to be built.

How to successfully complete this task 

You are to produce a record of all of the steps that you have completed, up to and including the burn-off process. Structure your record of production in a two-column table format under the headings Image and Description. Good practice involves including an itemised materials and cutting list at the beginning of the record of production to indicate the quantity of each type of material required to successfully manufacture each element of the project e.g. Body, Legs, Fire Box, Chimney etc..

1. Write a description of the task using your own words,

• Use dot points

• Be specific about what tools and materials you are using (Include dimensions).
  
  

2. Include a photograph or an image for each step,

• Use the tools available in Google Slides to enhance the quality of your presentation, for example:

• Change the font and the font size to one that you like the look of, although, this is a report so it must be presented to a professional standard, so avoid comic sans and handwriting style fonts

• You could add background colours or shading to the table to enhance the visual impact and interest - although these should be consistent throughout your entire portfolio.

• There are plenty of tutorials available online that can assist you in improving the consistency and quality of your presentation.
  
  

3. Whilst some class time is given to assist you, you are expected to complete this task in your own time.  

In this section, you need to complete a final evaluation of your project. Follow the 'evaluate' section of the ALARM scaffold use the template below as a guide. 

• You must explain whether your finished project achieves the goals set out in your Statement of Intent.

• Evaluate each goal from your Statement of Intent in the same order in which they were presented in the beginning of your folio.

• Explain and analyse how the research you conducted affected your project, in terms of design aesthetics (how it looks), function, ease of construction, and suitability of chosen methods of construction in relation to your skills, and time management.  

• Include negatives as well as positives with full explanations.

• Provide suggestions for how you could improve your skills, the design of the project and how you could better manage your time.

You have completed a number of tasks over the past 2 terms that become your portfolio for this project.  The portfolio contributes ⅓ of the marks and the project ⅔ of the marks for this section of the course.

Based on the tasks completed your portfolio will contain the following sections and be laid out in a single document in this order:

1. Title Page with a quality image of your project (1 slide)

2. Table of contents (1 slide)

3. Statement of Intent (1 or 2 slides)

4. Research - Mind Mapping (2 or more slides)

5. Research  - Materials (2 or more slides)

6. Research - Manufacturing Processes ( 2 or more slides)

7. Research - Technology (2 or more slides)

8. Timeline Plan (2 or more slides)

9. Sketching and Idea Generation - Sketches (2 slides)

10. Working drawings (2 slides)

11. Evidence of WHS (2 or more slides)

12. Final evaluation (1 or 2 slides)

13. Bibliography (1 slide)

NOTE CAREFULLY: This does not represent all that will go into a full portfolio for a Major Project in your HSC.