1. Identifying the problem - 1
I found that this step was mostly skipped over by myself and my team. I, as well as my group, did not feel that it was necessary to delve deeper into the problem, and elected rather to simply break it down without thinking about what the problem entails. Although this choice does not seem to be the optimal choice, I found that the result ended up working out fairly well. However, had we taken the time to identify the problem, we would have most likely avoided a lot of the conflicts that arose during the design and execution phase of the project.
2. Break down the problem - 2.5
Because we started on this project without any rubric nor plan, we did not have a definite idea of the steps to take in the design process, deciding rather to "wing it." However, we spent time doing something that could be considered similar to this step. For
the most part, our discussion was focused on the logistics of the situation,
ignoring most of the other details that could be considered as “breaking down
the problem.” Our group talked about the most efficient way to layout the room,
and what could be placed where. I feel that in the future, it would be
important to consider other aspects of the problem, such as the expectations of
the “client.”
3. Re-define/clarify the problem – 0
I did not even consider this step
during our design process, and neither I nor any of my group made any attempt
to try and do this. Most of the stuff that could have been discussed in this
step was covered in the “break down the problem step, meaning that this one was
mostly ignored. I felt that it was mostly unnecessary to follow this step, as
ignoring it did not negatively impact our performance; however, it is likely inversely
true that not skipping the step could positively impact our performance, making
it a good idea to attempt this step in the future.
4. Dream it/Design it phase - 4
This phase was probably where our group was the most efficient. After being given paper and the tools to plan our approach the best. In this phase, our team collaborated effectively and came up with good ideas together. Because at that point I had elected myself leader at the prompting of Ms. Lees, our team was far more organized and on-task. We were able to efficiently create our plan with minimal delay. Although there was a bit of distraction here and there, I felt that we did this step very well. This makes me think that it is indeed important to have a leader in our group, as once someone was there to tell everyone what to do, the process went a lot smoother and the bumps disappeared.
5. Execute phase - 3
I felt that the execution phase of our plan was fairly well done despite there being some bumps along the way. Mainly the problem was the lack of concentration on the part of a lot of our team. Although some of us managed to work efficiently, others just kind of goofed off and neglected to help. However, because of the concise and accurate nature of our plan and the timely arrival of our classmates, the required work was completed just in the nick of time. However, I believe that we could have improved our efficiency by delegating tasks at the start rather than just doing whatever we saw during the operation.
5. Execute phase - 3
I felt that the execution phase of our plan was fairly well done despite there being some bumps along the way. Mainly the problem was the lack of concentration on the part of a lot of our team. Although some of us managed to work efficiently, others just kind of goofed off and neglected to help. However, because of the concise and accurate nature of our plan and the timely arrival of our classmates, the required work was completed just in the nick of time. However, I believe that we could have improved our efficiency by delegating tasks at the start rather than just doing whatever we saw during the operation.
