As you are coming up with solutions to your design challenge, and improving on your ideas, keep track of all sketches and consider the materials you want to use. Label your sketches with possible measurements and add pictures of them to your portfolio UNDER the criteria and constraints document.
You have access to crutches, make sure that your ideas are in fact usable.
Clearly identify which of your sketches or ideas you will prototype.
For this project, you will have ONE prototype and testing. Basically you will build, test and build again. Use the prototype and testing template - copy the deck template by clicking here. Document every effort in the prototype and testing slideck , including failed attempts, and embed the slide deck UNDER the brainstorm document!
Gather the materials and build your first prototype. As you build, you may decide that some things don't work.
Create and implement logical test and evaluation ideas. If guidance is needed, refer to the ideas provided below:
Test to see how much weight the device can hold, using weights and actual items.
Verify that a design meets the weight constraint by weighing the final device materials, fasteners and other components before attaching them to the crutch.
Once attached to a crutch, load the device with 5 pounds (~2.3 kg) of weight, then use the device to determine the efficiency of design.
Loaded with weight, does the crutch(es) hold the device securely with the chosen attachment method?
Is the device located on the crutch(es) so that it does not create problems during use? For example, a device located too low on a crutch can create a pendulum effect, making it difficult to walk.
Ongoing evaluation of designs against the objectives and constraints is essential. Expect prototype testing and evaluating to result in ongoing modifications to the original designs. Much can be learned by testing, so make calculations and do many rigorous tests. Take notes to document your tests, results, observations and evaluations, which helps during the design process so you can refer to them for clarification as the design evolves and improves. In addition, the results from evaluations can suggest modifications that are worthwhile redesign ideas. It is OK to add features not considered originally BUT make sure that the criteria are still met.
Share your final design by taking a picture of it in all its glory! Add that to your portfolio UNDER the prototype and testing slide deck.
Summarize the design challenge, how you came up with the idea and how it works. I encourage you to do this in video format and embed it in your portfolio UNDER the picture you just added. Alternatively, you may choose to do a writeup.
UNDER all the documentation above, add a reflection. (you may wish to create a document or slide deck and embed that instead of writing directly on the page.
Answer ONE question in each of the following sections:
Backward-Looking:
What process did you go through to produce this piece?
In what ways have you gotten better at this kind of work?
In what ways do you think you need to improve?
What problems did you encounter while you were working on this piece? How did you solve them?
Inward-Looking
How do you feel about this piece of work? What parts of it do you particularly like? Dislike? Why? What did/do you enjoy about this piece or work?
What was especially satisfying to you about either the process or the finished product?
What did/do you find frustrating about it?
What were your standards for this piece of work? Did you meet your standards?
What were your goals for meeting this piece of work? Did your goals change as you worked on it? Did you meet your goals?
Outward-Looking
Did you do your work the way other people did theirs? In what ways did you do it differently? In what ways was your work or process similar?
What the one thing you particularly want people to notice when they look at your work?
In what ways did your work meet the standards for this assignment? In what ways did it not meet those standards?
Forward-Looking
What would you change if you had a chance to do this piece over again?
What's the one thing that you have seen in your classmates' work or process that you would like to try in your next piece?
As you look at this piece, what's one thing that you would like to try to improve upon? This is about YOU not about the piece of work.