Proposing a Design Strategy Mary Caulfield Lecturer-Writing Across the Curriculum March 19, 2010
Proposing a Design Strategy
Mary CaulfieldLecturer-Writing Across the
CurriculumMarch 19, 2010
Agenda
Techniques for starting the proposalUsing the proposal’s structure to
document and manage your designprocess
How the parts of the proposal informyour reader
The Grand Challenge marks amove from instructor-led tasksto team work on complex,interdependent systems.
Team members are nowchallenged to think as designersand innovators.
Design is a process fraught withuncertainties
Devise a strategy for solvingproblems as they emerge andfor providing specific detailabout systems underdevelopment
Use the proposal as a tool fordocumenting the design strategy,allocating tasks to team members,and holding the teamaccountable for producingdeliverables
Readers want specific reasons totrust your design strategy
As stakes become higher
…for instance, when money isinvolved…
the need for clear plans becomeseven more urgent
Writing the proposal helpsarticulate the systemrequirements and your team'sassumptions
What are the criteria for asuccessful robot?
What are the design constraints?
To get started, try working onyour paper from the inside out…
To form the core of your proposal,list and explain the design details
Hardware plan and rationaleControl architecture and rationaleNecessary algorithms and rationaleSoftware plan and rationale
Integrate words and pictures
Design graphics to inform the readerLabel graphics clearly and correctlyRefer to the graphic and discuss/interpret
it in text
Map out timelines and schedulesfor deliverables
FabricationTestingRedesignFinal implementation
The proposal’s structure givesthe team a way to organize awealth of detail
Introduction gives overview ofstrategy and explains howrequirements will be met
Context of challengeMotivationHigh level overview of the proposed
design
The design description in thebody of your proposal isorganized into systems andsubsystems
Use informative subheadings for detailsOrganize information under subheadingsRead the sections your teammates write
Risks and assumptions
Are there particular risks to your designstrategy?
What assumptions are reasonable, givenyour design constraints?
The conclusion summarizesstrategy, tradeoffs, and openissues
How does the design fulfill requirements?What are the principal tradeoffs?How are the tradeoffs justified?What issues need to be resolved?
Documenting a design strategymakes it concrete
Share and discuss inspirations,points of view, and assumptions
Compare the sections of thereport for redundant information,gaps, or contradictions
Help each other crafttransitions and connectionsbetween ideas
The process of organizing theproposal and making the partswork together identifies gaps inthe team’s knowledge
Listing open issues gives theteam a to-do list and milestonesfor the next stage of development
Design the document for legibilityand easy reference
User interface items
Include a table of contents, properlyformatted
Make sure headings convey usefulinformation
Number the pages of the proposalInclude team members' names on the
title page
Create a list of open issues andkeep it updated
Areas of uncertaintyQuestions for further researchIncompatibilities
Innovation forces teams to exploreunknown and uncertain territory
Documenting the design strategyhelps to structure the work andarticulate goals
A well-crafted design proposal isuseful for managers and investors– and for the development team
Proposals establish strategy, give ateam its common language, andare updated throughout the cycleof development
Acknowledgements
Jennifer Craig and Jane Connor for help inplanning this talk
The 2009 students who let me use graphicsfrom their proposals, especially Kim Jacksonand Evan Iwerks
Professor Teller and Professor O’Reilly for theuse of the hall