GE 121 – Engineering Design Engineering Design GE121 Oral Presentations Lecture 10

GE 121 – Engineering Design Oral Presentations  An important part of engineering communication  In many cases the attendees will be decision makers  May not have had time or interest to read the report  Affords the Design Team an opportunity to present its work and get useful feedback

GE 121 – Engineering Design Knowing the Audience  Team should know who they are presenting to  Tailor the presentation to the audience  Technical Level  Required detail

GE 121 – Engineering Design The Presentation Outline  Details in section Text  The typical presentation structure includes:  Title Slide – Identifies Client, Project and Design Team  Overview of the Presentation – Shows the audience the direction the presentation will take  Problem Statement – Initial statement given by the client, how problem statement changed as team came to understand the problem

GE 121 – Engineering Design The Presentation Outline (continued)  Background Material on Problem – Relevant Prior Work, other materials developed through Team Research  Key objectives of the Client and Users – Top Level or Two of the Objectives Tree  Functions that the Design Must Fulfill – Focusing on Basic Functions, but possibly including Unwanted Secondary Functions  Design Alternatives – Particularly those considered at evaluation stage  Highlights of the Evaluation Procedure and Outcomes – Key Metrics or Objectives that bear heavily on the outcome

GE 121 – Engineering Design The Presentation Outline (continued)  Selected Design – Explaining Why this Design was Chosen  Features of the Design – Highlighting Aspects that make it Superior to other Alternatives and any Novel or Unique Features  Proof of Concept Testing (Results) – Especially for an Audience of Technical Professionals  Demonstration of Prototype – If one was developed, it can be shown. Videos / Stills also  Conclusions – Including Identification of any Future Work to be done

GE 121 – Engineering Design Presentations are Visual Events  Avoid using too many slides or graphics (Allow 1-2 slides per minute)  Beware of clutter — highlight key points so speakers can expand upon them  Keep graphics simple (flashy, clever, or weird graphics may distract the audience)  Use color skillfully  Don’t try to substitute graphics directly for the text of the final report.

GE 121 – Engineering Design Practice is Essential to Successful Presentations  Teams should time practice presentations to learn how to manage time  Prepare for expected questions in advance  It is better to admit that you don’t know something than to get caught BS-ing!  Select a “batting order” for speakers

GE 121 – Engineering Design Design Reviews  Special types of presentations that allow for more give and take on technical issues  Teams should participate in design reviews with the intent of learning how to improve their designs, and should expect constructive criticism  Some criticisms or questions may tempt the team to feel insulted or defensive, but they can offer key insights that are very useful

GE 121 – Engineering Design GE121 Project Presentation  Format  Time constraints 15 minute presentation 5 minutes questions 3 minutes transition to next presenter 1 minute peer evaluation  Participation 15 minute presentation should be split approximately equally between group members  Content  Overall presentation About 2/3 of presentation should be on PROCESS for the design About 1/3 of presentation should be on the FINAL DESIGN  Outline See section in the text book (previous slides)  Slide Content / Layout See section in the text book (previous slides)