1. Communication and ME 481
“Your Future is Today”

2. Craig Gunn
2443 Engineering Building

3. 1. Important Elements of ME 481
You are the Ambassadors of the Department of Mechanical Engineering and MSU.
Projects come and go with the level of your communication skill.
You are professionals.
This IS the Real World!
Ask for help when needed.

4. 2. Photos Take as quickly as possible
Highest possible resolution setting
Good light and make sure the background is in contrast to the subjects
In focus (a tripod works best)
Multiple shots

5. Photo Concerns Don’t be too far away
Get someone else to take the photos
Ask about location
Head to toe and head to waist
Evaluate the participants
Think about what you are wearing

6. 3. Equipment Laptops Projectors Cameras – digital still
Cameras – digital movie
As soon as you know that you need them, tell me

7. 4. ME 481 Reports
Plagiarism
Style issues
Readability

8. Plagiarism Awareness
Don’t assume that everyone knows someone else did or said it
When things are copied or paraphrased you need to give credit
As an example, videos others have done need to be credited to the source

9. Style Issues
Tables and Figures
Grammar/vocab – K-12
Readability

10. Tables and Figures Table 1.Title (on top of table)
Figure 1.Title (on bottom of figure)
table 1, figure 1, fig.1, Fig.1
Number consecutively

11. Grammar/Vocab Subject/verb agreement Company is an It. Data - plural
Abbreviations - Commercial Differentiation Model (CDM)
Commas and semi-colons

12. There are items to address in this report: jobs, power and loyalty.
I will give the $99, to Bob, Sally, and Mark.
The amperage was peaking; and I felt that you, as the leader, should do something about it.

13. Vocabulary Aim for the clearest choice of words: Cheap – inexpensive
Break up – divide
Economically satisfying
Cooler manufacturers

14. Readability
Clarity
Paragraph Construction
Flow

15. Clarity Make sure the reader knows exactly what you want them to know.
Never allow interpretations.
A lot
A few
Close
Many
Around

16. Paragraph Construction

17. Flow Sentence to sentence Paragraph to paragraph
Flow is a feeling that a reader gets when reading any written text. The feeling sensed is that the ideas move smoothly in a concerted effort toward some conclusion. The facts are presented in an orderly fashion, and the language used is at the level of the reader.

18. 5. Presentations Utilize everyone Use the screen as a guide
Practice but don’t memorize
You are the focus not the screen

19. 6. The Important Elements of the First Report
Short Introduction
Problem Statement
Specifications and Constraints
Background of Sponsor and project
Design Parameters
Design Parameter Weighting
Future Plans
Gantt Chart
Budget Report

20. 7. The Important Elements of the Second Report
Short Introduction
Presentation of Design Alternatives
Subjective Evaluation of Alternatives
Objective Evaluation of Alternatives
Research on the problem
Modeling of the Problem
Design Recommendation
Future Plans
Gantt Chart

21. 8. The Important Elements of the Final Report
Executive Summary
Design Review
Modeling
Manufacturing
Testing
Economic Analysis
Final Recommendation

22. 9. Revision – Everyone READS!
1) First Revision
a) Weigh only the content
2) Second Revision
a) Increase clarity
3) Third Revision
a) Meet the standards of correctness
4) Fourth Revision
a) Work on Brevity
5) Fifth Revision
a) Improve the style

23. 10. The End
Questions???
Comments!!!