Design Step 4
Specifying the design's specifics in this stage of the process was critical in making it possible for our product to be built. The details usually include the size, material makeup, and assembly processes of the parts. We had to use many different techniques to guide the choices made during detailed design in order to lower the "risk" of later being required to make additional design changes. The functioning of our product is now being tested and analyzed.
In this part of the design process, our goals were:
Evaluating merits and limitations of different models of the same proposed tool, process, mechanism, or system in order to select or revise a model that best fits the evidence or design criteria.
Planning and conducting an investigation to produce data to serve as the basis for evidence, and in the design: decide on types, how much, and accuracy of data needed to produce reliable measurements and consider limitations on the precision of the data (e.g., number of trials, cost, risk, time), and refine the design accordingly.
Constructing and revising an explanation based on valid and reliable evidence obtained from a variety of sources.
Designing, evaluating, and refining a solution to a complex real-world problem, based on scientific knowledge, sources of evidence, prioritized criteria, and tradeoff considerations.
We first created an outline of the experiments we wanted to perform to test components of our product. We made sure to state the experimental question, detail all variables, materials, instruments, and include the step by step procedures. The variables we decided to test were temperature gradients/how well the box retains heat, and the efectiveness of our wood stain on protecting the wood from moisture damage.
After running the tests, we created a detailed report with our obervations/results:
Another component we completed in this phase of the design process was a life cycle assessment to closely research our raw materials. We looked at factors such as transportation/distribution, manufacturing processes, use-re use/maintenance, recycling, and wastes and emissions.
This step of our capstone project, I think that my group and I did really well at communicating and collaborating. We were able to divide the workload among the team members and use everyone's strengths to complete the testing and write-up on time and in a well-organized manner. With a clear understanding of one another, we were able to measure what we needed effectively and conduct analyses. We all got along really well, and I believe it helped us operate well as a team.
Conscientious learning and critical thinking are a couple of areas I believe we could improve. We occasionally talked for so long that we weren't accomplishing anything. Distractions in class are something we can work on to keep us on track! Additionally, I believe that our plan was fairly fixed, and we struggled to make adjustments when they were necessary. These were minor issues, but we can easily fix them as we continue to test our prototype.