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A Design review is the moment when your project will be scrutinized. Every feature, flaw, risk, if you are overcomplicating things or can be simplified, even if it could be cooler or new features could be added. The point is to improve your understanding of the project and its design, not to criticize it.

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During design reviews, mentors, instructors and experts should help you better understand what you want, need, have and the road to get to your goals. These should happen in regular intervals throughout the development of the project and help you take a step back from working to review if you are focusing on the right things.

First, explain what your project is about, where you are in the development, what you are focusing on and if you need help with something or lack knowledge or understanding. Lay out everything needed for the mentors to understand what you want and need.

Bring sketches, drawings, CAD, wiring, prototypes, anything you can think of to showcase your work.

The mentors’ job next is to think of what could go wrong, what you might be missing and what is the roadmap to a great end product.

Credit: Waforte (EDW 2024)

Advice for team members/students

Being a student is challenging in a design review. But please bear the following in mind.

At the end of a design review, it will look like your entire project has been turned upside down and that you have to start all over again. However, next day you will probably realize that it is not as bad as you thought and you can change what needs to be changed.

• Also, I would encourage you to take notes. A lot of things will happen and will be said during a design review. As humans we cannot keep that much information in our minds.
• Ask questions and be active. You must ask when you don’t understand a topic or what the mentor meant. Don’t be afraid to ask twice.
• Feel free to question the feedback. What the mentor says is not always the truth, you can be right, but you need to be part of the discussion.
• If you need another Design Review, ask for another one to take place. You are not losing people’s time, on the contrary. If in a week time you have to go to the next design review where you realize you did not understand something and could have asked, then you are losing time.

Advice For Mentors

Usually, this relies on experience, so there is no single guide to “How to run a design review”. But for mentors, you could focus on the following.

• Focus on understanding. If the team does not understand the required physics/math/chemistry/etc. they need for their projects, they will struggle to advance. Ask them questions about the science behind it and make sure they can answer.
• Simplify concepts. I know this goes against the previous point, but don’t expect people to understand the science behind complex topics within a day. Sure, they can work on that, but give them a simple answer at first.
• Be repetitive. Saying things several times and repeating yourself is helpful to make things stick. You might think you are being annoying, but you are actually helping, as topics may take time to learn and digest.

Questions for Mentors to ask

1. What is the most important part of the project for them? Is it aesthetics? The functional part? Learning something? Make them focus on that first.
2. Make sure they are aware of the complexities and the size/looks of their project? Are they happy with it? Do they foresee any issues with it?
3. Question the choice of materials. If they’re using too much 3D printing, they’re probably wasting too much time designing pieces and waiting for them to print instead of using wood. Are there any materials or products out there that can be used for the project and that will save time?
4. Focus on removing complexity. A lot of times, students tend to overcomplicate things and they could do the same thing using a simpler version.
5. Make them do more cardboard prototyping or physical stuff instead of overthinking what they should do. The best way to know if the prototype will work is to try it in real life, so go do it.
6. What materials do they have to buy? Are these 100% necessary?
7. What problems do they think they have and what problems do they really have? Are they aware of what’s to come and have thought of a solution?