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Senior Capstone Design
Project Learning
What is “Project Learning”?
What is…?
How to
Make…?IT
Project Learning is Part of a Process
• Product development is the process• Great results don’t happen by accident• Accidents happen without a process
Project Learning Roadmap
Conceptual Design /
Prototyping
Detailed Design
FabricationValidation Product
Goals for Project Learning
• Clear picture and shared consensus• What is considered done and good• Knowledge and skills required to produce
a design that is done and good
Project Learning Roadmap
Conceptual Design /
Prototyping
Detailed Design
FabricationValidation Product
You Are
Here!
Importance of Project Learning
Cost of Change(Mistakes)
Project Timeline
Project Learning Roadmap
Conceptual Design /
Prototyping
Detailed Design
FabricationValidation Product
Opportunity to be Innovative
Keys to Customer Satisfaction
Project learning adds value (Jain and Sobek, Atman)
• Broadly defined project• Idea generation• Problem definition• High level engineering
analysis
• Detailed design• Design refinement
Positive Customer Satisfaction
Negative Customer
Satisfaction
Experts Spend a Lot of Time Here!
Three Areas of Project Learning
People• User groups• Focus groups• Ride-Alongs
Product• Competitive
Analysis• Observations• Dissection
Technology• Experimentatio
n• Prototyping• Math Models
Identify Stakeholders and Experts
• Stakeholders have interest in new product creation– Identify these people early– Tap into their knowledge– Jump into their shoes
• Experts have specific knowledge – Ask them about products, processes, and technologies – Identify what help you need– Identify where to focus efforts
People
Who are your stakeholders?
Interview Stakeholders
• Groups to individuals• Focus on needs and constraints • Find out “what” not “how”• Interviewees focus on solutions and
experiences• You will have to tease out the needs
People
People
Teasing Out the Needs
The 5 Whys• The “problem”.• Why?• Why?• Why?• Why?• Why?
Root Cause Analysis• My car won’t start.• The battery is dead.• Alternator doesn’t work.• Belt is broken.• Belt is old.• Car has not been
maintained regularly.Root Cause!
Interview Guidelines
• Watch for things that aren’t said.– A simple requirement can be overlooked
• Watch for things that are said.– Is it clear?– Communicate back to customer
• Watch for priorities.– Must, should, wish– Prioritize complete needs list
• Let the user/client talk.– Follow up for clarification 5 whys?
• Be prepared with a list of questions.People
Do you have a list of at least 20 good questions for your
client?
Areas of Need
• Functional performance• Human factors/interface• Physical requirements• Reliability• Life-cycle use• Manufacturing requirements
People
What needs does your project have in each of these areas?
Conduct an Observation
• People often do not – realize opportunities, – realize their problems, or– communicate all needs
• Apply anthropological techniques – Document activities– Characterize user types– Characterize value to user
People
People
Observe the Process First Hand
People
Empathetic Activities
• First-hand experience is a great way to grow understanding– Use the product– Perform the process– Experience the hardship!– Ride-alongs
How will you interact with and understand your
client’s concerns?
Comparable Products
• Teardown competitive products• Learn all you can about the pieces and parts• Establish benchmark of performance• Estimate competitors cost
Product
Who is your competition? What are their strengths?
What are their weaknesses?
Marketplace Acceptance
• Know how your competitor is viewed• Know how your customer makes decisions– What is important?– What is not important?
• What unique value do you bring?
Product
Every project has a customer. Who is yours?
What do they value?
Technology
"We thought that if some method could be found by which it would be possible to practice by the hour instead of by the second there would be hope of advancing the solution of a very difficult problem…and without any serious danger.” – Wilber and Oroville Wright
Technology
The Wright Brothers made the observation that all their predecessors and their peers were spending about 5000 hours designing an aircraft and about 5 seconds testing it.
Experimentation and modeling
• Gain clarity in… – relevant physical phenomenon– create math models– relate them to experiments
• Determine what can be validated• And test, test, test
Technology
What simple test or math model can you
use today to learn more about your
project?
Research
• Identify technologies that are core to the problem or potential directions for the solution
• Conduct web searches, patent searches, existing documentation
• Scan vendor catalogs for enabling technology
TechnologyWhat don’t you know?
Become familiar with relevant codes/standards
• Understand governing standards• Consult with experts to get a handle on
relevant codes.• Summarize relevant material in a manner that
is easily digestible by teammates.
Technology
