Problem Identification

About this Stage: The first step in the design process is to know the problem. This requires becoming familiar with the client and what they want. It is vital for the success of the project to understand the requirements and constraints that are presented, as well as clarifying any misconceptions about the project. This way our team will know exactly what is expected for the project, as well as why it needs to be done. In the first portion of our project our team completed numerous milestones. These included:

Problem Identification

The first step in the design process is to know the problem.  This requires becoming familiar with the client and what they want.  It is vital for the success of the project to understand the requirements and constraints that are presented, as well as clarifying any misconceptions about the project.  This way our team will know exactly what is expected for the project, as well as why it needs to be done.

In the first portion of our project our team completed numerous tasks.  They were:

The only software used during this phase was Microsoft Office.  Office was used for preparing team correspondence and submitting required coursework.

The major design decisions made during this part of the design process concerned the development of the project definition.  The initial proposal from APS was general and conveyed that APS was interested in working with Northern Arizona University students and not much more.   However, when we first met with the client, the scope became clear.  The meeting started with brainstorming what we could accomplish as a team and what APS could find useful.  The session was informal and consisted of open dialog between the team, the client and the technical advisor.  When a consensus was made we had our project definition.

One problem the team encountered during this phase was scheduling.  Meeting our client in person was a priority for the group and to this we had to accommodate for our client’s schedule and our own.  We chose Thursday because group members had no school or were able to miss class on this day of the week.  In addition, our client and advisor were both available on this day.