The Concept Design Review (CDR)

The Concept Design Review (CDR) ECE 498A Spring 2007 ECE 498B

CDR: Who, What & Where? • The Concept Design Review is a formal presentation delivered to your peers, faculty, and customer. • The CDRs will be 25 minutes with an additional 5 minutes for Q&A. • All members of the team will participate equally in the CDR. ECE 498B

CDR: How, Why & When? • For the Concept Design Review, you will need a well-organized set of Power Point slides that will focus your concept review presentation. • The goal is to clearly and efficiently present three concepts, which your team has determined to best meet the requirements of the project. ECE 498B

CDR • You need to explain the strengths and weaknesses of each concept based on decision analysis results (which may be based on some early prototyping and “back-of-the-envelope” calculations. • A suggested template follows. ECE 498B

Customer • Define the customer • Define and explain the customer needs ECE 498B

The Problem • Explain the problem/need • Explain the context in which the problem is occurring • Quantify the negative impact the problem is having on the customer with data • Explain prior art/ other attempts that have been made to solve the problem ECE 498B

Project Requirements • Discuss and explain all of the technical requirements contained in the team’s Requirements Specification table • Explain how each requirement was weighted ECE 498B

Concepts • Explain the three concepts you considered in some detail with functional decomposition • Explain your concept analysis in relation to the technical requirements • Present the decision matrix to support your analysis ECE 498B

Tips • Examine competitive or similar products • Look at analogous problem or system solutions • Benchmark • Research the market • Do a thorough literature and patent search ECE 498B

Proposed Concept • Describe the proposed concept and how it will be implemented • Need to be very specific in explaining HOW each design task will be accomplished • You are trying to convince your audience that you have a reasonable and feasible design process ECE 498B

Considerations • Think about which sub-systems of your concept could be bought for your prototype, and which would need to be made. Discuss this output at the CDR. • Consider how you might proof the concept or test the prototype. Discuss this output at the CDR. ECE 498B

Schedule and Budget • You will need to present a Gantt chart and briefly explain it • You will also need to present the budget for the project with real costs ECE 498B

CDR: Strategies • Aim your presentation at an audience familiar with technical subjects, but not your particular project (e.g., a class mate) • You need to provide enough information and communicate that information effectively enough so that the audience at the review can provide a meaningful critique. ECE 498B

Preplanning • Your team will have a maximum of 25-minutes for the presentation, which will be followed by an in-depth period of critique. • All members of the team are required to participate in the presentation. • Remember that this review is for your benefit, and that it’s better to find the holes in your design now, rather than at the end of the semester. ECE 498B

Practice your Presentation • Critique each other’s presentation skills • Time your group’s presentation • Have someone who doesn’t love you critique your group’s presentation • Practice smooth and logical transitions between speakers ECE 498B

Delivering your Presentation • Overcoming anxiety • Before the presentation tell yourself that you are over prepared and have something of value to share with your audience • Being prepared means: know your material cold! • During the presentation concentrate on speaking slowly and clearly • Remember to breathe ECE 498B

Presenting (cont.) • Breathe • Stand erect • Pause between main ideas • Release tension by using hand and arm gestures • Move from one side of the screen to the other side ECE 498B

Body Language • Don’t shuffle, pace, click pen, click or wave pointer, play with clothes or hair or face or notes • P.s. be careful waving the laser around – your audience won’t concentrate if they’re ducking! • Use gestures • Avoid fig. 1 and 2 positions • Keep hands out of pockets • Don’t cross arms in front of your body ECE 498B

Body Language (cont.) • Make eye contact with the entire audience • Be enthusiastic • Use the pointer properly • Ask the audience questions • Refer to things they are familiar with to explain unknowns • Get the audience involved ECE 498B

Voice • Speak slowly and clearly • Vary your tone,volume and pace • Avoid a monotone voice • Ask if everyone can hear you • Avoid uhs, uhms, you knows, likes etc. • Better to have a pause while you organize your thoughts • Never read your notes • Back to the previous comment about knowing your material ECE 498B

The Critique • Remember that the design is being critiqued, not the team • Peer review teams are responsible for keeping detailed notes of points raised during the critique and suggested action • Do not irrationally defend your design simply because you have fallen in love with it • Listen carefully to each point that is raised before responding ECE 498B

The Concept Design Review (CDR)