Technical Presentations. Using Tables and Drawings. Jeffrey Donnell MRDC

Transcription

1 Technical Presentations Using Tables and Drawings Jeffrey Donnell MRDC

2 Agenda How to organize the talk The deliverables we need to see How to use and display graphics: Specification lists Function trees Morph Charts Concept drawings Evaluation Tables Warnings about slide design 2

3 For 5-slide presentations Display Illustrations of your design(s) Decision / analysis tools (as called for) (Limit text to labels and table entries) You verbally describe the design or table while the image fills the screen 3

4 What you should display (for longer presentations) Cover slide (names, date, title) Agenda (like an abstract) Introduction (Objectives, deliverables, problems) Discussion of deliverables (with figures) Concluding summary 4

5 Your Agenda List the week s objectives List the deliverables that you will present Completed designs Spec Sheet Function Tree Morph Chart Concepts Evaluation Concluding Summary 5

6 Your Introduction Substance: What were the goals of the reporting period? What design challenges were posed? What deliverables are presented? Style: Use short phrases Use figures Add Value! 6

7 Most deliverables are diagrams Spec sheets show goals and evaluation criteria Function trees show a partition of the project and characterize system operation Morph charts show constituent problems and possible solutions Concept drawings characterize possible solution systems Evaluation Tables show why a particular concept is deemed best 7

8 Closing Summary Review progress to date List specific goals for next period Indicate what problems remain open 8

9 Figures and tables in presentations Choose light backgrounds with dark lines Figures and tables must display numbers and descriptive captions or titles You must describe your figures and tables to the audience: What is it? Why is it presented? What should the audience notice about it? 9

10 Specification list Requirements Table on light background Number and caption above the table Organized using logical headings Uses Helps you develop goals and evaluation criteria Helps others see your goals and criteria 10

11 Specification Issued: For: Design Project Page 1 Changes D/W Requirements Resp. Source Get CD to Target Design Class D 1'x1'x2' Instructor W Rolling to Target W Quick D Acceleration Due to Gravity D Gravity D Low Friction (Rolling To Target) D Spring Forces W Stiffness (High) W 100% Efficiency of Springs W Limited axle Friction Loss D Potential to Kinetic Energy Conversion W High Durability D Cost Effective Instructor W Non-Lethal Instructor D Material Readily Available Working Trigger (Controllable) Instructor D Not Directly Destructive to Arena or Opponents' Cart Instructor W Aesthetics (Must Look Good) Instructor W Interchangeable (Replaceable) Parts W Hand Assembly D Preliminary Test Instructor A poor specification sheet, which uses an overly small font size, has no organizational headings to group the information and shows no title or caption. 11

12 Table 1.1. A summary of the CD Moving Device Specification List, displaying main concerns for Geometry and Forces, as well as preferences for the system s kinematics. D = Demand Specification W = Wish Issued: For: CD Rom Moving Device Page 1 Changes D/W Requirements Resp. Source Move CD Rom to target. Geometry D Fit within 24x12x12 inch area Instructor Kinematics W Quick acceleration Mfg. Engineer W Straight line " W Smooth acceleration " Forces D Operates with mouse traps Instructor An effective summary of a Specification Sheet, this table is organized with boldface headings, and it condenses the whole list, allowing the speaker to highlight the team s primary concerns. 12

13 Function trees Requirements Flowchart with text boxes Text boxes should use Noun-Verb form only Each box should show only one verb Solutions should not be provided Uses Helps you to partition a large task into a set of smaller problems Helps others to understand your project partition 13

14 WIN THE COMPETITION BY HAVING OUR CD CLOSEST TO THE TARGET MOVE A CD TO TARGET CREATING OBSTACLE FOR OPPOSITION PREVENT OPPONENTS IMPEDENCE BRAKE GENERATE POWER TO START MOTION TRANSMIT POWER TO MOVE CD FRICTION ANCHOR STOPPER HIT TARGET CREATE FUNCTION TO DETER OPPONENT S IMPEDENCE & IMPEDE THEM AT THE SAME TIME MOVE TO TARGET NAVIGATE TO TARGET WIN BY DEFAULT An unacceptable function tree, showing inappropriately jumbled levels and sublevels (in red), inappropriate proposed solutions (in green), and with too many functions represented by the numerous verbs in the middle box (in blue). 14

15 Retrieve CD and Place on Target Activate System Move To CD Stop At CD Manipulate CD Defend Result End Forward Motion Anchor Capture Device Capture CD Deliver CD Protect Our CD Move Their CD Figure 1.1. Functional Partition of the CD Mover project, showing the project s partition into 8 subtasks. An acceptable function tree, showing partition for a CD retrieval system. Five basic functions are subdivided to provide an 8-step storyboard for the system s performance. 15

16 Morphological charts Requirements Treat as a Table with small drawings Light Background 2 or 3 words per cell Left Column lists functions Uses Helps you organize a wide array of solutions Helps others to determine whether you have evaluated all the possible solutions 16

17 Generate Power Gravity (ramp) Mouse Traps Transmit power Reach CD Move CD to Target Prevent them from reaching their CD Prevent them from moving their CD Prevent them from interfering with our CD Car hit by trap Rip cord effect Ramp Unequal Sized Equal Sized Wheels Side Wheels Catapult Dustpan Hit with Sticky Lever Lever Jack Catapult Bulldozer Jacks Catapult Net Catapult Flypaper Trap Roller Obstruction Tether Obstruction Tether Marbles Block Obstruction Marbles An ineffective Morph Chart, which fails to provide sketches to represent the proposed solutions. The listed solutions for Transmit Power and Reach CD, highlighted in red, show that this team preselected a cart solution to the project and failed to explore other solution approaches. 17

18 Table 1.2. The Morphological Chart for the CD Mover project, displaying possible solution approaches for each of the problems posed by the project s subfunctions. Generate Power Mouse Trap Gravity Transmit Power Trap turns axle Car hit by trap Ramp Projectile / Catapult Move to CD / Target Rolling Sliding Projectile Move / Pick-up CD Suction Tape covered platform Trap hits disc Catch line Brake on CD / Target Anchored String aroung axle Rubber stopper deployed An acceptable Morph Chart, showing a variety of solutions for each function, and illustrating those solutions with simple sketches. 18

19 Concept drawings Requirements One drawing should fill a slide Light background with dark lines and labels Name the design in slide title or a caption Assembled systems must be shown before components are displayed Concepts should have descriptive titles Uses Drawings ask you to consider integration of your system parts. Drawings allow others to evaluate your designs 19

20 3-arm structure Roll in a curved path to target The worst possible concept drawing. This drawing provides no descriptive caption and no labels for features. The black background distorts blue and yellow drawing features. The side-placed bullet list wastes space that is better filled with a larger copy of the figure. 20

21 Tethered-Car concept. An adequate concept drawing. This large drawing shows labels, and a descriptive title. A drawing of this quality should be produced for each concept. 21

22 Evaluation matrices Requirements Present as tables, with numbers and captions above the table Display criteria legibly in the left column Column heads should identify concepts with names and suggestive sketches Uses Help you to evaluate concepts rigorously Helps others to understand your evaluation 22

23 S = Same + = Better - = Worse Criteria Wt #1 #2 #3 #4 Moves CD 10 S D S - Quick to Target 8 + A - + Robust 7 S T S S Gets CD to Target 9 S U S S Controlled motion 6 - M + + Easy to Reset 5 S + + Buildable in Time 10 - S - Easy to Repair 5 S - - Total Total Overall Total Weighted Total A poor evaluation matrix, with irritating colors and ineffective concept identifiers as column heads. Sideplacement of the legend compresses the table. In addition, the criteria may be skewed; Criteria 1 and 4, Moves CD and Gets CD to Target are heavily weighted, yet they mean the same thing: The system works. 23

24 Table 1.3. A second level evaluation matrix, showing the selection of concept 3, based on superior speed, drive distance and ease of production. CONCEPT CRITERIA Drive Distance Size Speed Low Cost Ease of Operation Ease of Production Ease of Reset Functional Safety Total Relative= Total/ An adequate evaluation matrix, with table number and descriptive caption, visible concept identifiers and clearly differentiated criteria. 24

25 Focus, color and information Important information must visually dominate any figure or table When possible, important information should be clustered and centered Color is best used to highlight important information Pastel colors give you the greatest flexibility 25

26 Clustered information permits focus Table 1.1. A summary of the CD Moving Device Specification List, displaying main concerns for Geometry and Forces, as well as preferences for the system s kinematics. D = Demand Specification W = Wish Issued: For: CD Rom Moving Device Page 1 Changes D/W Requirements Resp. Source Move CD Rom to target. Geometry D Fit within 24x12x12 inch area Instructor Kinematics W Quick acceleration Mfg. Engineer W Straight line " W Smooth acceleration " Forces D Operates with mouse traps Instructor 26

27 Color highlights the conclusion Table 1.3. A second level evaluation matrix, showing the selection of concept 3, based on superior speed, drive distance and ease of production. CONCEPT CRITERIA Drive Distance Size Speed Low Cost Ease of Operation Ease of Production Ease of Reset Functional Safety Total Relative= Total/

28 Motion, Sound and information Motion should highlight important information Animated concept drawings are very helpful Sound is best avoided Unless the sound IS the information 28

29 PowerPoint and Temptation Avoid cool animated text Reduce colors to a minimum Don t decorate your slides Avoid soundtracks You must avoid unnecessary motion, sound and color 29

30 Strong colors obscure information. Motion can make us look away from the drawing 30

31 More pixels are devoted to the decorative frame than to the table. 31

32 Technical slide design Everything on a slide must clarify information Colors should mark relationships between terms, objects or subsystems Animation should illustrate the motions made by your concepts The largest element on a slide should be the most important thing on that slide 32