Final Design Review

This document provides guidelines for the Final Design Review (FDR) high-fidelity prototype, oral presentation and written report. What and how you present is ultimately at your discretion based on what you think best conveys the status of your design to the customer and audience.

As you review the outlines and descriptions below, you will notice the format (and some of the content) is similar to what was requested in the PDR, and CDR presentations and reports. Teams are encouraged to use their CDR presentation and report as the basis or point-of-departure in creating both your FDR oral presentation and written report. Your FDR presentation and written reports should articulate the design, analyses, prototyping and validation used to arrive at an optimal (meets or exceeds the requirements and specifications) design.

The overall goal for the FDR is to convince your stakeholders (your sponsor and/or instructor acting as your project sponsor, and mentoring staff) that your design is progressing toward a final product that can be manufactured and marketed to create business and/or society value. To do this you will need to demonstrate/prove that your design achieves its functional objectives and creates a favorable business case that overcomes the risks.

Oral Presentation

Teams will be allowed ~25 minutes (20 minutes for Presentation, 3-4 minutes for Q&A). Your instructors will communicate the exact timing and form of your Oral presentation.

• Content (“What”)
  • Introduction
    • Team
    • The Project including some brief background, such as
      • Business case
        • Estimated market size, the target customers and their requirements are understood and reflected in the project objectives
        • The full breadth of competition and/or benchmarks have been analyzed and the pros & cons explained against customer requirements
        • The unit cost and sales price are accurately estimated.
        • The proposed solution will create value for the stakeholders.
    • Key relevant information from CDR
  • Body - Design/Engineering/Prototype/Validation/Results; potential slides include:
    • The Final Optimal Design (models, simulations, photo-realistic images/videos of prototype)
    • The Engineering Analyses, has helped refine the size, shape, thickness, gaps, fits (allowance, clearance, tolerances, etc.), etc. making a more optimal detailed design; thorough and robust analyses has provided confidence in the accurate functionality of the high-fidelity prototype
    • The Test Plan that accurately validates the design
    • The Status of Key Remaining Risks
    • How innovation incorporated into your final design; Why was Innovation required or necessary; Where is Innovation manifested in your Design, Analyses, Manufacturing, Prototype, etc;
  • Prototype Demos/Videos
  • Assembly and Disassebly Simulations
  • Q & A
    • Appendix slides that deal with your most predicted questions.
    • Video clips (in the event no questions are asked)
      • CAD/CAE Simulations
      • Etc.
• Presentation (“How”)
  • The presenters are wearing the appropriate attire, speak clearly, are confident and credible, and passionate about the project and their product.
  • While all of the “What” items listed above contribute to a successful project, remember, you are giving/making a Design Presentation, hoping to inspire transition from prototyping and validation to full production. The majority of your words and slides should be to persuade your sponsor(s) that the design being presented has the shape, topology, dimensions, structure, thermo, flow, controls, HMI, etc. characteristics and features to meet or exceed the requirements and specifications set forth by the sponsor(s).
  • The presentation is visually appealing, engaging, easy to follow, and easy to understand. Each slide has a well-defined & intuitive take-away that contributes to the overall message so that the full presentation communicates a clear and significant idea that energizes the sponsor to support the project.

Written Report

• Content (“What”)
  • The body of the FDR report should be informative, engaging, and quick for the sponsor to read.
  • The report should incorporate the following into its body;
  • (Not to exceed) 500 words (Requirement) of summary text woven in and through
    • Well-chosen, mentioned/referenced figures, images, tables, diagrams, lists, etc.
    • References to all Appendices, wherein the reader can find greater additional content
  • Provide a concise project statement and brief refresher on customer requirements.
  • Compelling and credible evidence that the product will produce unique value. (If the result of the project was to learn that the product will not produce unique value, explain why).
  • A rational business case.
  • The report should reinforce the Oral Presentation and its key takeaways
  • It provides a summary of the most important design, analysis, risk-mitigation, etc. elements accomplished over the course of the project to give the reader the necessary information to decide the best next step (e.g. another design iteration, move to production, cancel, etc.).
  • Appendices that were included in the PD & CR, and CDR written reports (e.g. Charter, Schedule, Budget, Business Case, etc.) should be updated, changed, and made current with the status of the project (required), but have minimal reference in the body of the report. For example, thus far the project has consumed 93% of its allocated budget, see Appendix C.
• Digital Written Report Structure (uploaded to Bb) (“How”)
  • Title Page (Required)
    • Report Name
    • Project Name
    • Submitted to: Sponsor Name (if no sponsor, list your professor)
    • Submitted by: Team Names
    • Date
  • Body (Required)
    • Per above guidelines
  • Appendices (Required, as applicable)
    • A: Team Members and Organization Structure
    • B: Charter
    • C: Business Case and Project Budget
    • D: Project Schedule, Network Diagram, Work Breakdown Structure, etc.
    • E: Risk Mitigation
    • F: Sketches
    • G: Mechanical CAD
    • H: Mechanical CAE (FEA, CFD, motion path simulation, … depending on your project)
    • I: Electronic Schematics
    • J: Electronic Circuit Diagram/Wiring Diagram (if ready)
    • K: Electronic CAE
    • L: Flow Chart of Control/HMI Software/Operation and/or Skeleton Code (pseudo code)
    • M: Manufacturing Drawings (A- & B-size Drawings and Manufacturing Operation Sheets)
    • N: What was learned from the (high-, mid-, low-fidelity) prototypes and validation
    • O: List of Standards Referenced/Used/Applied to this project
    • P: ...other appendices as applicable