The "Architecture Project" - Human Centered Design in Action!

Goals:
Develop a design that meets the following Criteria and Constraints...

Criteria:
-Develop an architectural solution that solves a specific problem for a client. Your end result will be an architectural model of your design.
-Create 3 sketches to support your brainstorming effort.
-Create 2 digital prototypes of your design.
-Physically construct a prototype (model).
-Collect feedback from the client at each stage of your effort.

Constraints:
-Utilize a design process to solve this challenge:
----Define the Problem
----Brainstorm Solutions
----Digital Prototypes
----Physical Prototype
----Portfolio Report/Summary of experience
-All students on a team must meet with the client... this is "human centered" design after all!
-Clearly identify the design need being met.
-Use our "four quadrant feedback" technique with your client between each stage of the design process (Define the Problem, between Brainstorming and Digital Prototyping, between Digital Prototyping and Physical Prototyping, After completing your Physical Prototype). Your meetings can be breif, but please solicit feedback and incorporate it into your efforts. Record and list feedback at each stage and list any changes made based off of it.
-Label at least 3 key features on any sketches you produce.
-Use Inventor (CAD) on at least one of your digital prototypes. You may use Minecraft to quickly simulate the second digitial prototype.


Consider the following as you make progress on your effort:
-Can you utilize any of the "Design Modes" from the Stanford Design School's "Design Thinking" process? Read our post on the "Bootcamp Bootleg" for more info.
-Can you incorporate any of the architectural concepts that were highlighted by our "Top Ten Architects" lesson?


The following process may help you achieve compliance with the above design criteria/constraints...

Process:
Identify a client
Discover a design need (interview the client)
Brainstorm solutions
-Create 3 sketches of solutions.
-Call out 3 key features on each sketch.
Prototype 2 solutions with CAD software
-Consider 'A/B testing' a key design feature.
Recieve feedback from your client
-generate "+", "change", "ideas" and "questions" from both your client and your team.
Rework/Iterate on your design
-incorporate feedback into your design.
-call out features you changed based on specific feedback.
Build an architectural model that incorporates feedback
Present model for review
-generate another round of feedback.
Write up experience on your online portfolio
-Share client feedback at each stage of the effort. Communicate how feedback shaped your next effort in the design process.

Balsa Aircraft Challenge!

Thanks for a great experience with our Glider Challenge. This was a new project for our curriculum so we learned a lot implementing it.


Please complete the following to capture your experience with this project on your online portfolio (blog):


1) Provide a breif description of the activity. Who did you work with? What did you build? What challenges did you overcome to succesfully craft your aircraft?

2) Post a photo of your glider under construction.

3) Post a photo of your finished design.

4) Describe how you tested your aircraft and tuned its flight characteristics.

5) Describe how well your aircraft flew in our competition. Did you win any events (furthest distance, longest time aloft)? Were you competative in our best decorated flier competition?

6) Pick three steps from the PLTW 12 step design process and describe how your team worked through these during the course of this experience.

Tallest Tower Design-Build Challenge

We had some students really pushing the limits on this week's Design-Build challenge. With 2 minutes of planning and 4 minutes of building, who can build the tallest tower out of some straws, coffee stirrers, mailing labels and a few cups?

4th Period:


6th Period:

Game On!

The FIRST Robotics competative season is underway. CHS has the strongest team yet with a core of seasoned veterans as well as a selection of sharp newcomers.

The team has their own workspace so I enjoyed their suprise visit for a meeting after class on Tuesday.

This year's challenge involves scoring points by putting foam basketballs through baskets. It looks like the team is starting to refine their vision for the project!:

Design/Build

Jason and Joe make progress on their cardboard canoe build:


Meanwhile, Putnam and John make progress on testing a prototype:




? - Even though this team is already under way with the construction of their boat, how might the prototype support the construction of their project?
? - How effective does their model appear to be? What useful information might the team discover with their test?