Outdoor STEM space
For this project, we were given two weeks to make blueprints, costsheets, 3d models, and a presentation for a bench that would go in our school. The main factor of our bench was centered around getting people together, and communicating in a better, and more comfortable manner. Overall we did very good. In our class we had the most first place votes and in the community we were among the top voted groups. I felt like the community gravitated towards the comfort, and multiple use cases of our bench.
This was our slideshow. We didnt want to put too much emphasis on the slideshow because most of our pitch was going to be through our physical things like cost sheet, 3d model and digital model. We still wanted the slideshow to showcase our location, and the main selling points. It also made the pitch more organized and structured because we went slide by slide but also improvised and added more things in instead of following a script.
We wanted to make sure that the project was easy to buy. We did this by making an interactive cost sheet via google sheets. We didn't want to bombard the person looking at it with information. We divided it into 4 sections. The first was item which was hyperlinked to the exact product we wanted for easy of purchase. we also organized it part by part, then grouped all the screws brackets and stain together. We had a section called what its for so that the reader knows that we specifically planned every purchase. The total part section was needed because for most of the product we needed more than one. the total cost helped the viewer break down our total cost. A good cost sheet is essential because it shows that you thoroughly thought of every detail, and are actually ready to construct the bench. We also thoroughly vetted the materials we used, as we wanted this bench to last a lifetime.
The 3d model was the main focus of our project. Everything was derived from the 3d model. Since we were not as skilled at drawing, we started to digitally 3d model it to get a better understanding of what we wanted. The software that we used was sketchup.
The blueprints were by far the hardest part of this project. We first started with rough, not drawn to scale sketches. After developing the 3d model we knew how to draw it from different angles as we could scroll to any angle on that model. We decided to showcase the most important angles as these blueprints had to be able to be built by just looking at them. We also drew in the fixing points, and highlighted areas that we thought needed clarification, to make the blueprints more buildable.
We wanted to make a physical model of our bench as people like seeing and feeling things. It makes the bench seem much more real and less conceptual. We did this with the help of 3d printing. We took the sketchup file and put it into fusion 360 to refine it and get it ready to 3d print. This print took four hours in total.
Content
Sun angles - The angle which the sun strikes the earth at. We chose our location and where our bench was facing away from the sun so that it wouldnt be hit by direct sunlight, but would also have a little warmth depending on what side you sit on.
Human Use patterns - This is picking up on how we see eachother using and doing certain things. We used human use patterns because we often saw that people would sit in this formation on the floor. We wanted to make a bench replicating that shape to cater to them. We also saw a pattern in that kids often communicated on their phones. and even when they communicated with eachother they still dont have direct eye contact/ full attention towards the conversation. We made this bench to make it easier for kids to communicate, and give another place for kids to connect.
Materials choice - We chose pressure treated wood for the legs because it was touching the floor, and we didnt want it to rot.
Blueprinting - A detailed plan or program of action. We came up with four blueprints to make it easier to build, as they went through every step needed to build this bench.
CAD - An abbreviation for computer aided design. We used the programs of sketchup and fusion 360 for our bench.
3D Printing - a method of creating a three dimensional object layer-by-layer using a computer created design. We used an ultimaker 3d printer to 3d print our bench. It was a combination of the sketchup file, and the modified fusion file that was 3d printed.
Cost Sheet - A sheet that breaks down the monitary side of a project. We wanted our cost sheet to be as consise and easy to follow, so we made it digital and hyperlinked the specific iteams we wanted to use.
Reflection
The two areas I did well on in this project were critical thinking and collaborating. I did well on my critical thinking by 3d printing the cad design to get a sharper, more proffesional physical model. I did well on my collaborating because all of our ideas were fused together for this bench and we all co worked on it, instead of assigning different parts to different people.
Two areas I can improve on are leadership and time management. I felt like I could improve on my leadership because I didnt speak up when I thought we were behind in our project. I want to improve my time management for the next project because we did not efficiently use our time. Next time I want to make a sheet and check off boxes for whats done, and also take note of whats done everyday to see if we are working efficiently.