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College of Engineering
Capstone

Preliminary Design Grading Considerations

Preliminary Design Executive Summary (100 points)

The Executive Summary will be graded by your External Relations Manager (Allyson or Lisa). They are both experienced engineers and will expect an appropriate level of professionalism and technical detail. These are the questions they will be answering when grading your Executive Summary:

1. (20 points) Overall professionalism, grammatically correct, makes sense overall

2. (10 points) Overview

  • Has the team succinctly and intelligibly summarized the problem and the key success measures?

3. (20 points) Concept Architecture Summary

  • Does the description of the concept architecture make sense?
  • Is it clear how the concept architecture will meet the project’s requirements?
  • Has the test plan been adequately addressed?
  • Has the team considered how this will meet the project’s value proposition?

4. (30 points) Preliminary Design

  • Is it obvious where the team is in the design?
  • Does the team demonstrate a good understanding of what else they need to figure out?
  • Does the team demonstrate a good understanding of what decisions need to be made soon?
  • Does the team recognize and have a plan for overcoming potential roadblocks?
  • Are detailed artifacts referenced and included?

5. (20 points) Schedule and Work Plan

  • Has the team thoughtfully planned out the larger details and long lead-time type decisions that need to be made?
  • Does the team have a reasonable plan for the next design stage?

Presentation (50 points)

Your presentation will be graded by your Pod Instructor, with input from your review coach.

1. (5 points) Overall professionalism, everyone on time and dressed professionally, slides are clean and clear

 2. (5 points) Simplified Overview

  • Has the team succinctly and intelligibly summarized the problem and the key success measures?

3. (5 points) Project Value Proposition (1 slide)

  • Does the team demonstrate a present understanding of the sponsor’s needs, priorities, and desired outcomes?
  • What action is the sponsor going to take based on the outcome?
  • What decision will the sponsor make based on the project outcome?
  • Is it clear the team is maintaining communication with the sponsor to understand changing needs?
  • Have changes to priorities been addressed?

4. (15 points) Concept Architecture Summary

  • Does the description of the concept architecture make sense?
  • Is it clear how the concept architecture will meet the project’s requirements?
  • Has the test plan been adequately addressed?
  • Has the team considered how this will meet the project’s value proposition?

5. (10 points) Preliminary Design

  • Is it obvious where the team is in the design?
  • Does the team demonstrate a good understanding of what else they need to figure out?
  • Does the team demonstrate a good understanding of what decisions need to be made soon?
  • Does the team recognize and have a plan for overcoming potential roadblocks?

6. (10 points) Schedule and Work Plan

  • Has the team thoughtfully planned out the larger details and long lead-time decisions that need to be made?
  • Does the team have a reasonable plan for the next design stage?