Assessment Task 2 Display Cabinet

• 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 two examples given below, including the comments, 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.

Aim

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

• What purpose is the project trying to achieve? (e.g. storage solution, aesthetic object for a particular room)

• Why are you making the cabinet? (To store things? 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 cabinet design.

  • Aesthetics, could be your door design, use of different timbers or finishes (Varnishes, stains, shellac). Will it match other furniture?

  • Functionality, could be the multiple storage solutions in one object e.g. having a door and drawer.

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

• Who is the cabinet being designed for? Or, who will use the cabinet 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 cabinet dimensions and requirements outlined in the assessment task. Include the number of different joints and different timber species.

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

By now, you are probably feeling a little lost. The Display Cabinet project requires you to design your own door and your own drawer/shelf system and layout. 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.

Drawer

1. How many? Do I want 1 or more?

2. Where - at the bottom, top or some other layout?

3. How will I make it? What joints will I use? Are some better than others? Are some easier than others? What tools and equipment are available? Where will I get information about this?

4. What will I make it out of? (Sir says Radiata Pine for sides and rear - but what about the front) What material is available in appropriate sizes?

5. How will I open and close it? What sort of handle? Will I make it or buy it?

The answer to some of these questions simply requires a decision on your part, for example: The answer to the question “How many” 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 cabinet 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 Timber context, materials refers to:

1. The timbers that could be used in the project

2. Manufactured boards that could be used in the project

3. Adhesives that could be used in the project

4. Finishes that could be used

5. Hinges that could be used

6. Drawer runners that could be used

7. Knockdown fittings that could be used (what are these?)

8. Any other material that could be used, such as veneers

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 timbers and find out that “Turpentine” is an excellent timber for constructing jettys - unless you are constructing something that needs to be outdoors in harsh conditions, that might not be too relevant if you are making a dining table.

Research of timber species

In the context of the display cabinet, when researching timbers you need to consider a few factors;

1. What timber is available?

2. What does it look like? Does it fit with what I want to achieve aesthetically?

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

These factors should be mentioned in your research

On the following slides are some examples of how to present quality research, particularly relating to materials.

Components refers to elements or things that contribute to the assembly of the project - so It includes the range of joints that will be used, it also refers to specific sub assemblies such as frames, doors and drawers. In the context of the Display Cabinet Project, your research in this area seeks to answer questions such as:

1. What joints exist that could be used to construct my drawer?

   1. Are some better than others?

2. What joints exist that could be used to construct my door?

   1. Are some better than others?

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. You will justify your choice by providing reasons In a later section of your portfolio - not this one so your choice will 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 would not make sense to research some exotic joint if we do not have the tools or equipment to make it at School.

Below are some examples of how to present quality research, particularly relating to Joinery. Read through each carefully and see what information they included and what was left out. Consider how you would like to present your research. HINT: Try to maintain a degree of consistency with the rest of your portfolio in the choice of font, font size, colour, layout etc. NOTE: None of these examples contain any references - you are to provide references to each piece of research and include it in your submission.

Components refers to elements or things that contribute to the assembly of the project - You have already researched a number of different joints that could be used in your project but some sub assemblies such as drawers require greater research.

In the context of the Display Cabinet Project, the drawer(s) is quite small, so there may be some limitations to what you can do. For example, it does not make sense to add mechanical drawer runners to such a small drawer. The Major Project is another story. There are many options available for both joinery and opening/closing options. Some of the questions that you will seek to answer in this section include;

1. How will I attach my drawer front to the sides?

   1. Will I glue it? Why/why not?

   2. If using joints - what joints are available? Are some joints better than others. Why?

2. How will I attach my drawer back to the sides?

3. How will I attach my drawer base.

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. You will justify your choice by providing reasons In a later section of your portfolio - not this one so your choice will 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 would not make sense to research some exotic joint if we do not have the tools or equipment to make it at School.

On the following slides are some examples of how to present quality research, particularly relating to Joinery. Read through each carefully and see what information they included and what was left out. Consider how you would like to present your research. HINT: Try to maintain a degree of consistency with the rest of your portfolio in the choice of font, font size, colour, layout etc. NOTE: This exemplar contains references, follow the links to assist you with your research - you are to provide references to each piece of research and include it in your submission.

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

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 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 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.

• Your working drawings

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.