Teams work with sponsors to gather and document detailed requirements, understand the sponsor's needs for the project, the impact to the sponsor, and metrics for evaluating the final product. During this stage, team members spend time learning any new concepts or technologies required to be able to fully understand the requirements for the project. This may include a literature review, interviews with the sponsor, workshops, and/or individual research.
Once the requirements are established, design concepts are considered and evaluated. A final concept for system design is chosen and it is decided how the system will be structured and how its components will interact to meet the specified requirements. Initial prototypes, code structure, operating environment, etc are included as part of this stage.
During this phase, the overall architecture of the system is designed to meet the specified requirements. This includes defining the system components, creating engineering models and drawings, defining a full software architecture, defining all interfaces, specifying operating environment, creating a bill of materials, etc.
Each Design Review (except the Winter Planning Review) will require:
A formal presentation
Teams should dress professionally and be a few minutes early to set up
All team members should be present
Requirements for slide contents for each review are listed in the Requirements and Grading Considerations section below
A written Executive Summary
The Executive Summary is just that - a summary of where the team is with the project written at a high-level with references to artifacts that go into more detail
The Executive Summary should be TWO PAGES OR LESS
Requirements for the Executive Summary for each review are listed in the Requirements and Grading Considerations section below
Supporting Artifacts
The Executive Summary summarizes your work; your artifacts detail what led you to your summaries, conclusions, designs, etc
Artifacts should be included in the order in which they are referenced in your Executive Summary.
Any artifacts not referenced in the Executive Summary but that you think are important to include can be added as an Appendix
Submitting your Executive Summary and Artifacts for Grading and Feedback
Submissions are due TWO BUSINESS DAYS BEFORE YOUR DESIGN REVIEW. This gives your review coach and ERM time to grade and review your submission before your presentation so you can receive good feedback at or before your presentation. Beginning with Preliminary Design Reviews, late submissions will have an automatic 10-point deduction. For avoidance of doubt, this means:
Due by 11:59pm on the previous Wednesday for a Monday morning review
Due by 11:59pm on the previous Thursday for a Tuesday morning review
Due by 11:59pm on the previous Friday for a Wednesday morning review
Due by 11:59pm on the previous Monday for a Thursday morning review
Due by 11:59pm on the previous Tuesday for a Friday morning review
Teams will submit the Executive Summary and Artifacts as A SINGLE PDF. To do so, save EACH included document as a PDF, and combine the pages into a single PDF using Adobe Acrobat (available through cloudapps.byu.edu). Do NOT include low-resolution screenshots or other items that cannot be viewed clearly when zoomed in.
Submission of the Design Review PDF will be through deOpus
Click on the upload icon beside "Executive Summary" on the right hand side of deOpus under the design phase for which you're submitting
Upload your PDF containing the Executive Summary and Artifacts
Your submission will be TIME-STAMPED by deOpus. If you made an error and need to resubmit after the deadline, please contact your External Relations Manager.
Design Review Logistics
Teams schedule the Design Review with the Pod Instructor WHEN THE TEAM IS READY, and no later than the "no later than" due date.
Contact your Pod Instructor at least a week before you would like to have your review. That gives him the most flexibility to schedule necessary resources to make your review happen when you need it.
Teams are STRONGLY ENCOURAGED to move through the first phases as quickly as possible. If the nature of your project makes it reasonable to complete your preliminary and final designs by the end of October, do it!
If your Pod Instructor preemptively schedules a review date for your team, YOU ARE NOT BOUND BY THAT DATE. Communicate with your Pod Instructor if you are ready before a date he schedules to reschedule the review and keep your project moving.