Spacesuit Project Create Guide

PTC Creativity Lab ©

2013

PTC Creativity Lab Spacesuit Project

Written by Ayora Berry Copyright © 2013, PTC

Notice of Rights All rights reserved under copyright laws of the United States and other countries. You may reproduce and transmit this curriculum/tutorial for educational purposes only. All credit and trademark notices must accompany any such reproduction made in whole or in part.

Trademarks PTC, the PTC Logo, Creo View, and all PTC Product names and logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of PTC and/its subsidiaries in the United States and in other countries.

Acknowledgements Jordan Cox (PTC), Alexander Ouellet (PTC), & Alyssa Walker (Framingham State University, McAuliffe Center).

Spacesuit Project

Create Unit

The goal of this unit is to

generate ideas and come

up with a solution(s) to the

project challenge.

To assist in this goal, we

will begin by generating

ideas and then narrow

down your ideas to a

specific concept design. At

the end we will review your

creative results.

Step 1: Generate Ideas

The goal of this step is to generate ideas to the project challenge.

Step 2: Concept

Development

The goal of this step is to refine your ideas and select one to three candidate concepts for your solution to the project challenge.

Step 3: Create Review

The goal of this step is to summarize your concept solution(s) for the project challenge.

Activities

Brainstorming Primer

In this step we will conduct a formal group brainstorming session.

Industry Hats Brainstorming

In this step we will conduct a specialized brainstorming session where you will generate ideas based on the perspectives of various industry roles.

Generate Ideas Create Unit

Goal

The goal of this step is to generate ideas to the project challenge.

Brainstorming

Primer Brainstorming is a common practice in the professional world. The goal is to generate ideas to a problem. This can be done independently or in groups. In this document, rules and procedures are provided for conducting a formal group brainstorming session. This is a great way to start geneating ideas for your project challenge.

Essential parts of a classic brainstorming

session

1. Understand the problem which in this case is the Project Challenge. 2. Brainstorm ideas 3. Put ideas into categories

The objective of

this skill is to

generate as many

ideas as possible.

Rules of a group brainstorming session

(1) No idea is a bad idea; (2) Respect the feelings of others, (3) Be creative, take risks when offering ideas; (4) No criticism, judgment, or evaluation at certain points; (5) it is okay to use other people’s ideas this can often lead to exciting outcomes (6) Avoid dismissive comments such as “it will never work” or “that’s a crazy idea”; (7) encourage wild ideas, these ideas can lead to great solutions.

Brainstorming Procedure

First, we establish the problem. One person describes the problem or challenge to the classroom. A short discussion follows to make sure everyone understands the problem.

Second, the class generates ideas. In the beginning everyone comes up with ideas (this is called ideation) independently by writing their ideas on post it notes.

Afterwards, we share our ideas by placing the post it notes on a wall or board that is visible to the whole class.

Third, we categorize and select canidate solutions. Typically the instructor leads a process of categorizing

ideas (often end up with 3-5 categories). Then everyone considers each solution and votes for one solution. Once everyone has voted, the top 2-3 candidates are selected, and a discussion follows as to how they would create the

product.

Industry Hats

Brainstorming

One way to generate ideas is to role play a specific character. This makes you think about solutions from a different perspective. In this brainstorming session, you will take on one of the six industry roles below. While brainstorming solutions to the project challenge think about the position your industry role would have: For example, what aspect of the product is most important to them? What perspective about the customer do they have? What is their focus regarding the product’s form and function?

A recommendation is to use the rules and procedures of the Brainstorming Primer. For more information on the roles, view the Share Unit packet.

Artist

Journalist

Inventor

Scientist

Anthropologist

Entrepreneur

INDUSTRY

ROLES

Activities

Sketching

In this step you will sketch out the form and function of your ideas generated during the brainstorming session.

Final Sketch(es)

In this step you will create 1-3 final concept sketches using the drawing template.

Concept Development Create Unit

Goal

The goal of this step is to refine your ideas and select one to three candidate concepts for your solution to the project challenge.

Sketching Sketching is a way to think through ideas and share ideas with others.

Sketching in Industry

Sketching is one of the first steps in imagining how a product will look and function. By sketching out a product’s shape, components, and other features, the creator gets a better sense of the product: how will the user interact with the product, what are the relationships between important features, or how one design would look versus another? Often designers will have many many sketches before they arrive at a concept that meets their requirements.

Want to learn more? Visit the Smithsonian’s webpage on “Doodles, Drafts, and Designs” http://www.sil.si.edu/exhibitions/doodles/introduction.htm

Tip 3

.

Sketching

Tips

Tip 1

Tip 3

Sketching Template In engineering fields, final designs are often displayed on an engineering drawing. The engineering drawing is used by manufacturers and other roles to determine the form of the product. Typically the display includes certain views as well as detailed dimensions and labels. For the purpose of this sketching exercise you will include requirements outlined by your teacher.

Activities

Quad Chart Review

In this step you will create a quad chart to summarize your concept solution. This is the final assignment for the Create Unit.

Create Review Create Unit

Goal

The goal of this step is to summarize your concept solution(s) for the project challenge.

Quad Chart Quad charts are traditionally used in government research and development, in particular for space and military industries. They are a useful tool for quickly summarizing a concept solution. A quad chart is typically one page, with four quadrants, and a title. Below is a quad chart template for your reference.

Product Name: one sentence describing the concept.

Image Format: sketch, prototype photo, or digital model. Requirements:

Comprehensible visual Use of labels and highlights User based perspective

Form & Function Format: text Requirements:

List function of components List essential materials List innovative qualities

Impact

Format: text Requirements:

List how the product meets the creativity challenge requirements

List how this product adds value to to its user/customer

Next Steps

Format: text Requirements:

List questions you have List needs for devleopment List opportunities

Tip 3