Student memos 9-13

Memo 9

Ryan Stoddard
Junkyard Wars Summary
    The junkyard wars project was effective in demonstrating the engineering concepts of providing instructions, creating basic designs, and teamwork.
    Providing someone with adequate instructions is much harder than I originally perceived. Even though, our concept for our initial design was quite simple, it was still difficult for someone to comprehend exactly what we meant without physically explaining and demonstrating. After our best efforts of putting every detail of our concepts on paper, the group that received our instructions was still confused. We found that successful instructions need to be specific, detailed, and have an adequate balance of diagrams and written instructions. Specifics protect against misinterpretation, i. e. two people might have a different idea on what a “slight incline” is. It is much better to give specific measurements. Detail allows for a more systematic approach to construction, which aids efficiency. We found that if something needs to be tested to determine the exact position of a certain object, it is much better to describe an iterative process for obtaining the correct position then attempting to explain the theory behind the correct position. Finally, a balance of written instructions and diagrams helps both because some ideas are best conveyed with one or the other and because some people are better at interpreting one better than the other.
    This project provided some guidelines on creating basic designs. In general it became apparent that the best designs are those that are durable (that is, account for certain failures) and are able to reproduce the desired task consistently. I found this aspect not nearly as applicative in this project as the aspects of instruction and teamwork because given circumstances (time, materials, etc.) With these constraints, it was hard to foresee and account for durability and reproducibility. However, the groups that were able to account for these factors the most were the most successful.
    Teamwork is a very difficult part of the design process. It is hard to describe how my ability to work in a group grows; it is more of an instinct that is nurtured with experience. This project was able to help with certain aspects like writing as a team and making team meetings possible with busy people.
    In general, I really liked the junkyard wars project and think it was successful in demonstrating these engineering concepts.

Memo 10

Justin Panhans
EDC
2 October 2008
Junkyard Wars Memoir
    One of the most difficult aspects of the Junkyard wars project was the teamwork involved. The fact that we had just met our teammates made it difficult for us to designate jobs to people with unknown strengths and weaknesses. Eventually we found out who had the best ability to draw diagrams or write or even throw the plain. Another difficult aspect about the team is that you need to be able to persuade and debate with teammates. If you worked alone, you would not need to persuade anyone that your idea is best for the project. I also find it difficult to take the role of the dissenter and criticize other ideas in order to come up with the best idea. However, as we worked together, teamwork became easier and more natural.
    I found that when writing instructions, detailed descriptions are important; but numerical and qualitative information can help the most. We also must take into account how familiar the audience is with the project. It is too easy to assume that the reader knows everything that I know.  Be sure to do a audience analysis and try to put yourself in the audiences’ shoes.
    From the junkyard wars project, I learned that designs work best when tested and improved. Although in theory a design should work, when the design is actually built, the design may need to be changed. Sometimes the proposed concept is not practical to use or build. With this project only being a week, we did not have much time to test and modify our projects. I am sure that every project can be modified further and improved if we continued to test them.
     
Memo 11

Eric Larson
DSGN 106-1
Junkyard Wars Memo

    The Junkyard Wars project has taught me the basics of the design process, including how to collaborate with teammates, use materials in creative ways, and write clear instructions. When first given the challenge, I immediately realized that I would have to experiment with unusual materials to complete specific tasks. As a team, we picked out the materials that would work with specific aspects of our design; for example, we knew we needed a material that could hold a lot of weight for our bridge supports, so we picked plastic cups. Another example is the speed bumps we used in the maze. We knew we wanted an object in our maze which would slow down the ball slightly, so we used straws and duct tape to imitate the “speed bumps” found on roads. The process of experimenting with different materials taught me to think creatively and use every resource to my advantage.
    The Junkyard Wars project also showed me how I need to write my instructions in the future to increase their clarity and effectiveness. When my team was required to swap instructions on the second day of class, I realized that my group’s first set of instructions were too ambiguous. Because we thought that we were going to build the bridge ourselves, we didn’t include a lot of details that were necessary for another team to effectively build the bridge. A large majority of the instructions were subjective and as a result, the bridge design would have been different for every group that decided to build it. In the future, I know that I will have to include more quantitative instructions, so every design will be exactly the same and give the same results for the task. For example, instead of saying “place the speed bumps where the ball is too fast”, I would mention specific spots on the track, by using measurements, where speed bumps should be placed.
    Junkyard Wars allowed me to learn about specific aspects of design which I didn’t consider in the first design process. For example, the biggest problem in our maze ended up being consistency. When we tested the maze on Friday, the ball travelled at a perfect pace for getting a slow time. We adjusted the maze by flattening the speed bumps, which would allow the ball to travel faster. But come Tuesday, the speed bumps expanded and the ball stopped various times on the track during the final testing. I learned that in future designs, I have to include a margin for error. So instead of letting the ball come to a near stop, I would increase its speed to allow for greater consistency in results.
    The most important lesson in Junkyard Wars was learning to work with teammates to achieve a common goal. When we were given the task, we each had so many ideas and concepts that we wanted to be in the bridge. But when we each presented our ideas to each other, we realized that some of our ideas were unrealistic while other would work well with our design. This process of taking the best ideas from each design allowed us to build the best bridge possible with the materials we had. Working in a team also taught me about perspective. For example, if one of my teammates mentioned an idea that was obviously unfeasible, I would tell him that it was unrealistic with our constraints, but I would also try to work with the idea to see how it could benefit our design and help us complete the task. By respecting and having patience with my teammates, I believe that our design benefitted and completed the task wholly.

Memo 12

EDC 1
Herrick and Leonard
EDC 1 – 02

    The Junkyard Wars assignment was a very informative exercise about engineering. In creating the instructions for own project and watching the other team build it, and building the other team’s project, we learned a lot about the design process, teamwork and clear instruction.
     We found many problems with design. While testing the design that we built, the maze, we found out that irreproducibility was a large problem. In adding the speed bumps, we found that they acted differently at different places, because it was very difficult to make them identical. Also, feasibility and implementation was a problem. In our design for the bridge we included a set of guard rails which were added to keep the car on the tracks. However the team implementing our design removed these, since they would very impractical and difficult to construct. During the actual competition, we learned about another important factor. In testing the day before our maze worked flawlessly, however, at the actual competition, our maze didn’t work, because in the meantime, either it deformed or was damaged in the closet. Therefore, we learned that the durability of an often tested design, and controlling the storage and access to a prototype is very important in being able to successfully present one’s design.
    We also learned about teamwork. I found that we able to function as a team because we worked together effectively. Group work was well divided, and we each added to the project. Another thing I noticed is that this team was able to work much more effectively than other groups in which I have been, since we all understood each other to some degree, as a result of our shared status as McCormick students.
    Although I felt that we learned a lot about the design process and teamwork, I felt that in this particular exercise we learned the most about instructions. The instructions need to be specific so that you know exactly what specific thing to use in what step, clear so there is no confusion on where something goes, detailed so you know where every little thing fits, listing all the steps from beginning to end so that you do not forget anything, and with audience awareness so that the reader not only understands what to do, but feels comfortable and secure in their knowledge that they are doing things correctly, while following the instructions rather than guessing their way through them.
    We definitely experienced the problems associated with poor instructions and with what causes those problems. When writing our instructions we assumed that they were for us to use, and therefore we did not feel it necessary for us to include parts of the instructions we knew and felt were obvious to us. In addition, there were some things in the instructions that since we did not actually build our bridge, we did not know they would be part of the bridge design. The instructions we received were not very understandable, partly because of the way that they were written, with the same problems that ours had, but also because the problem changed after we got the finished instructions. Trying to use static instructions to fix a dynamic problem made it very difficult for us to follow them. There were many times we had to improvise, and many sections of the instructions were changed or removed. However, since we were all intelligent engineering students we were able to get by. Nevertheless, instructions must be written well so that anyone, especially if they are in the target audience, and even if not, will be able to read and understand them to solve the design challenge.

Memo 13

                             Reflection on Junkyard Project (Super Shooter)

     Junkyard Project is the a project of designing an object that achieves certain goals while using very limited material provided by instructors (for my group, our goal is to design a launcher that can shoot a ball for twenty feet).  At first, we designed a project called Flying Machine and wrote instructions for building it. However, later the instructors asked us to work on another project called Super Shooter following another group’s instruction. After my first Junkyard experience, I realized two major points that were usually ignored: first, instructions should be precise, specific, and supported by illustration when necessary; second, building the project is completely different from a mere conceptual design. 
    When we started working on the project following another’s group instruction, the biggest difficulty is ambiguity in the instruction. Adjectives without quantity supports are often confusing to readers. For example, if we say ‘cut a small hole near the tip of the plunger’ in the instruction, we are not presenting ourselves clearly. We need to specify how small the hole should be by adding a quantity description such as ‘a small hole with a diameter of three centimeters.’ or ‘a hole that is one inch to the tip of the plunger.’ Another important tip for writing instruction is analyzing audience before writing it. My personal experience of Junkyard war tells me that we often assume everybody knows as much about the project as we do. Thus, subconsciously we may skip some steps that we think are self-explanatory and assume that people know everything we are talking about, which is not true most of the time. To avoid this problem, we need to write instruction step-by-step and start from the very beginning of the project. Moreover, we can clarify our instructions by concrete graphic illustrations. Graphs are usually more informative than banal words. On a similar note, as engineers, we must understand our clients have various backgrounds. Thus, depending on whom we are working with, our guidelines of composing instructions may change. For example, if we know most of our primary or secondary users are pre-literate, we may rely heavily on graphs to give instructions.   
    Engineers often experience problems of feasibility and reproducibility.  Success of one project may depend on a lot of factors, some of which we have thought of and some of which we have not. Hence, the best way to examine it is to see if we can reproduce our success. For example, our group needs to design a super shooter. When we first achieved the distance goal of twenty feet, it did not mean that our design was OK because this distance might be a result of air force and other unknown forces. Only after we can shoot this far for couple of times, we can say that our device is working. Related to the notion of reproducibility, we also need to think about control over the device. We need to consider how we control the device. Our instruction of operating the device should enable a person without any knowledge of this project to shoot the ball for twenty feet. 
    I think Junkyard is a great opportunity for incoming freshmen because for most of us it is our first experience of actually engaging in designing and building something in a professional way.  Students may never realize some problems until they have experienced every aspect of engineering: design, read instructions, and build the actual project. After the project, I understand the importance of writing detailized instructions and what it means to successfully finish a project.