the ci-m side of 6.111 lab 3: writing the design report
TRANSCRIPT
Donald N.S. Unger, PhDWriting Across the CurriculumFall 2007
The CI-M Side of 6.111 Lab 3:
Writing the Design Report
DigiAlarm’07Sands Hotel, Las Vegas29-30 September 2007
I’m on the MIT website. . . .
Really. . .
“I gave you the information.
What’s the problem?”
Does the “envelope” really matter?
This might be a better way. . .
The information on the business card is:
ClearEasy to understand
Complete
Concise
Well OrganizedLogically laid outIn a familiar form
Giving you the card demonstrates:
1. Attention to detail2. Quick follow-through3. Reliability4. Genuine interest5. Collegiality
. . . . The characteristics ofsomeone with whom you wouldwant to work.
The medium is the message
If I send you off to find my contact information,I’m telling you that you are on your own.
If I give you my card, I am showing you that I willmake sure that you don’t have to hunt forinformation, and that, by extension, you can bothrely on my technical expertise and rely on mepersonally as well.
Be Professional
How you communicate demonstrates yourprofessionalism along multiple axes.
Hard skills matter. You have to present the rightinformation and present it clearly.
Soft skills matter too. You have to communicatein ways that convey an awareness ofprofessional standards of behavior
Your Design Report does something very similar:
Accurately and efficiently delivers theinformation you wish to convey: “Here’s ouralarm design; it meets your specifications; it issuperior to the work of our competitors.”
Makes crystal clear, via the manner in which it ispresented, that your design team would be thebest group to work with. Must be: UserFriendly.
Grades Don’t Matter (!)
Is your design report so good that it would getyou the job?
Time Line:
First Draft due 10 October; returned 24 October Comments are representative Meant to facilitate re/vision, not merely editing Ask for clarification if comments are not clear
Revise
Peer Editing Workshop on Friday, 2 Nov., 1:00-2:00, 34-101 Attendance is mandatory Bring two hard copies of your paper
Revise
Final Draft due 9 Nov.; returned no later than 28 Nov.
Your submission will consist of:
Letter of Transmittal
Design ReportTitle and AbstractTable of ContentsList of FiguresOverview Focus on thisDescriptionConclusionReferencesAppendices
A good overview yields a good design report
“Wrapping”: Letter of Transmittal, Title and Abstract,Table of Contents, List of Figures, References,Appendices
“Core”: Overview, Description, Conclusion
Key: Overview
If the overview is clear, complete, concise, and wellorganized, it provides a map, both for the reader and foryou as a writer.
The Overview section should:
1. Describe the overall goals of the design
2. Provide a concise specification of thefunctionality
3. Present the specification in a manner thatallows the client to quickly and easily assesswhether or not it does everything she would likeit to do
Issues of Format
Graphics should be: labeled, self-contained,explained in the text
If it’s not yours (even if that’s “obvious”) or it’snot common knowledge, give credit—using IEEEcitation format
Page Set-Up: one column, single spaced,justified left, ragged right, 1” margins,12 pointfont (of a professional sort, f. ex. Times Romanor Helvetica)
Less is More: We Don’t Grade by Weight
Your report should run 4000-6000 words, notincluding appendices
As long as you convey all the information youneed to convey (ask your TA), and do so clearlyand in good prose (ask your writing instructor),you do better to aim for concision
Resources Writing and Communication Center
http://web.mit.edu/writing
Online Mayfield Handbook https://web.mit.edu/21.guide/www/home.htm
This presentation 6.111 Website
Questions?