📃 Summary

This design project was to develop a solution that will improve the lives of our clients. Based on the clients’ challenges, we developed the following problem statement as a foundation for our project: To design a safe, convenient, and accessible solution to help our visually impaired client, easily complete the steps of making a sandwich.

🧑🏻‍💼 Responsibilities

For this design project, I was tasked to be the administrator of my team. As the admin, I…

• Submitted all worksheets and files on time.
• Created a final schedule in the form of a Gantt Chart to show how tasks were handled.
• Enforcing and monitoring progress of deadlines and deliverables.

Our final Gantt Chart demonstrating the actual schedule for our project.

📝Design Process

1. Concept Sketching:
   1. We were first tasked of generating concept sketches of any concepts that we envisioned would benefit our two clients and support their needs.
2. Generating a Model and Testing Plan:
   1. Our team used weighted decision matrices to choose the best concept to pursue. Utilizing the chosen concept, we developed our initial prototype and began developing a testing plan for our prototype. Our design was a right-angled support bracket that combats the accessibility issues that arise when constructing sandwiches.
3. Finalizing our Prototype:
   1. After demonstrating our prototype to our TAs and IAIs, we received feedback to improve our design. Using this feedback, we developed our final prototype similar to the first; however, featuring a guided-support and finger guards to allow for the slicing of a sandwich.
4. Testing and Presenting our Solution:
   1. Once the prototype was finalized, it was time to put our weeks worth of effort to the test. The prototype underwent various durability, comfortability, safety, cleanability, and versatility tests to ensure that our prototype was to the quality that we desired as a team. Then, we presented our design to our IAIs who referred us to the 1P13 Showcase where we were placed 2nd out of 1000 students for our design.
5. Post-Project:
   1. This project taught me valuable lessons in simplicity and open-mindedness as we developed a solution to aid in building sandwiches. I learned:
      1. Over-complication is not always the best option.
      2. Simplicity promotes clarity, efficiency, and ease of understanding.
      3. Open-mindedness promotes growth, new perspectives, and the acceptance of different ideas and opinions thus improving communication.

The Weighted Decision Matrix used to decide upon the design we will be pursuing.

My initial prototype featuring a guillotine style design with a drawer to slide a sandwich out.

🏆 Achievements

• Placed 2nd out of 1000 Engineering 1 Students (200 Groups)
  • For our unique and innovative: Stack ‘N’ Slice
• Representative of Dyson
  • Approves our design and loved the simplicity.
• Made our in-class IAIs, TAs, and peers proud!

🪞Reflection

Over the course of our final project, I acquired many valuable skills and learned valuable lessons:

• Appreciating simplicity in design.
  • This design project influenced me to appreciate simplicity in design. It demonstrated that complicated designs are not necessary to develop a solution to an issue. By not over-complicating a task, a solution can become more clear, efficient, and is easier to understand.
• Open-Mindedness.
  • By remaining open-minded when generating ideas, I was able to remain neutral and not favor my solution to the solutions of my peers. Remaining open-minded allows for a deeper generation of ideas as each team member was working as one. Everyone came together and accepted every idea rather than dismissing them.
• Working with time rather than around the clock.
  • When it came to completing milestones and submitting deliverables, our team always remained on task and worked to the preliminary Gantt Chart developed. While following the developed schedule, as a team, we were more productive and were ahead of our peers providing us with more time to improve our prototypes and generate new ideas!

👁️ Looking To The Future

• Testing Heat-Sensitivity
  • We would like to perform further testing using heated ingredients. Currently, the prototype is compatible with heated ingredients; however, there has been insufficient testing done to check the effects of heated elements on the epoxy resin coating.
• Further Increasing Versatility
  • We would like to explore creating our prototype in various sizes to allow for more longer and bigger sandwiches. Currently, it works with most types of sandwiches but we would like to create a more versatile experience with our future designs.

🛠️ Software / Hardware

• AutoDesk Inventor
• Microsoft Office
• PrusaSlicer
• 3D Printing
• Epoxy Resin

🌟 Skills

• Adaptability
• Collaboration
• Creativity
• Critical Thinking
• Innovation

The Stack ‘N’ Slice in its final form!

Video demonstrating the Stack ‘N’ Slice in action!

Video demonstrating the Stack ‘N’ Slice in action!

Showcase Photos