Question

1. Individual brainstorm 3 or more ideas
a.
These must be labeled sketches
b.
Sketches must be on their own page(s)
2. Talk about all the brainstorming ideas that your group has come up with. This should take 10 minutes or more.
If you need to combine ideas do that NOW. The new idea needs to be sketched and included in the brainstorming as the 5th idea.
3. Pugh Chart creation (everyone needs to create it on its own page)
You need to pick at least 4 ideas for your pugh chart
Label the four ideas you are going to compare with #1, #2, #3, and #4 (so on).
Create a pugh chart with the criteria that supports your problem statement
Talk through your pugh chart to rate each build
e.
4.
Write your OWN conclusion to your pugh chart
Final design sketch a.
Everyone has to create their own labeled detailed sketch

Answer 1

I can do this two ways — (A) I can produce a complete example deliverable for a sample problem so you have concrete pages you can adapt, or (B) I can wait for your specific problem statement and build everything around that. Which do you want?

Below I’ll give a full worked example for a sample problem so you can see the format and content you need to submit. If you want it adapted to your actual project, tell me your problem statement and any constraints (materials, class requirements, team ideas) and I’ll redo it.

Sample project (example problem statement)
- Design problem: Create a compact, stable, adjustable, low-cost phone/tablet stand for students to use on desks for video calls, note-taking, or watching lectures.

Part 1 — Individual brainstorm: 3+ ideas (each labeled “Sketch” and on its own “page”)
(Note: I can’t draw images here, so each “sketch” is a labeled text diagram + description you can turn into a sketch on paper. Each is on its own page marker.)

----- Page 1: Sketch 1 — Folding Plate Stand -----
Diagram (front view, folded/extended)
Folded: [_____ ] (thin plate, hinge at bottom)
Open: \ / (two plates form A-frame: back plate + base plate)
Key features:
- Two thin aluminum plates connected by a hinge; back plate folds up to form a support angle, base plate holds the device.
- Rubber strips on base and back contact points for grip.
- Small lip at front edge to stop device from sliding.
- Adjustable hinge friction screw allows angle settings (30°–70°).
Why this helps:
- Very compact, folds flat into backpack. Low parts count, low cost.

----- Page 2: Sketch 2 — Telescoping Arm Clamp Stand -----
Diagram (side view)
Clamp (C) attached to desk edge — telescoping arm — phone holder at end
Key features:
- C-clamp attaches to desk; telescoping arm extends 0–300 mm; pivot at phone mount for tilt and rotation.
- Arm uses nested aluminum tubes with twist-lock collars.
- Phone holder uses spring grip with silicone pads; 90°-to-portrait rotation.
Why this helps:
- Hands-free, adjustable height and position; stable if clamped; good for messy desks where you need free desk space.

----- Page 3: Sketch 3 — Origami Cardboard/Plastic Fold Stand -----
Diagram (top view: folded creases)
Folded from single sheet into triangular cradle with rear support tab
Key features:
- Single-piece molded plastic or reinforced cardboard with pre-scored fold lines.
- Low-cost, recyclable; quickly manufactured by die-cutting or injection molding.
- Two or three fixed angle positions via locking tab slots.
Why this helps:
- Ultra cheap, disposable, very portable; good for giveaway/one-time use.

----- Page 4: Sketch 4 — Magnetic Multi-Angle Rail Stand -----
Diagram (side view)
Horizontal base rail with sliding magnetic phone holder; rear adjustable prop
Key features:
- Flat base rail (metal) houses a magnetic phone pad that slides for balance; rear prop that clips into the base at several detents to set angle.
- Phone attaches magnetically (or via small bracket); slim and modern aesthetic.
Why this helps:
- Fast adjustment, minimalist look, and the sliding magnet allows balance with heavy cases or tablets.

Part 2 — Group brainstorming summary and combination (10+ minutes of talk-through)
(Imagine your group met for 10–15 minutes; below is a documented summary and synthesis.)

Group brainstorming ideas discussed:
- Folding Plate Stand (Sketch 1): liked portability and simplicity.
- Telescoping Arm Clamp (Sketch 2): liked position flexibility but concerned about cost/complexity.
- Origami Fold Stand (Sketch 3): liked low cost but limited angles and durability concerns.
- Magnetic Rail (Sketch 4): liked aesthetics and quick adjust but requires magnets or metal phones.
- Additional ideas raised verbally: detachable weighted base for stability; phone-holder with fold-out cable channel for charging; integrated pen/stylus holder.

Main concerns/actions during discussion (10+ minutes):
- Everyone agreed the stand must be portable, low-cost for students, stable with larger phones or small tablets, and offer at least 3 viewing angles.
- Team worried about complicated manufacturing (telescoping arm) and reliance on phone magnets (not universal).
- Consensus: combine the simplicity and flat-fold portability of Sketch 1 and 3 with the multi-angle stability of Sketch 4. Add a small weighted clip/base for extra stability and include a cable channel.

Combined new idea (Sketch 5) — “Hybrid Folding Plate with Locking Tab and Cable Channel”
----- Page 5: Sketch 5 — Hybrid Folding Plate with Locking Tab -----
Diagram (side view, open)
Back plate with multi-slot hinge — base plate with lip and cable channel; locking tab engages a slot for each angle
Key features:
- Two-plate design (like Sketch 1) but hinge includes multiple locking slots (inspired by Sketch 3’s tabs) to set discrete angles (e.g., 30°, 45°, 60°).
- Base has shallow cable channel to route charging cable; front lip holds device.
- Thin removable weighted rubber strip clips onto base for added stability (inspired by weighted base idea).
- Materials: molded ABS plastic with rubber inserts; compact thickness ~8 mm folded.
Why this helps:
- Keeps low-cost, folds flat, multiple secure angles, cable management, improved stability.

Part 3 — Pugh Chart creation (each student creates their own on its own page)
I’ll create a Pugh chart comparing four ideas. Label the four ideas as #1–#4. I’ll use criteria aligned with the problem statement for the sample project.

Labeling:
#1 = Folding Plate Stand (Sketch 1)
#2 = Telescoping Arm Clamp (Sketch 2) — baseline (datum)
#3 = Origami Fold Stand (Sketch 3)
#4 = Hybrid Folding Plate with Locking Tab (Sketch 5 — combined idea)

Criteria (supporting the problem statement: compact student phone/tablet stand)
- Portability (folded thickness, weight)
- Stability (holds phone/tablet steady)
- Adjustability (range and number of angle options)
- Cost (materials and manufacturing)
- Ease of manufacture (simple parts, assembly)
- Cable management & accessory features (charging channel, stylus/pen holder)
- Aesthetic/appeal (looks for student use)

Pugh Chart (datum = #2 Telescoping Arm Clamp). Symbols: + (better than datum), S (same), - (worse)
(Use text table)

Criteria | Weight* | #1 Folding Plate | #2 Telescoping (datum) | #3 Origami | #4 Hybrid Folding
Portability | 3 | + | S | + | +
Stability | 4 | S | + | - | +
Adjustability | 3 | + | + | - | +
Cost | 4 | + | - | ++ | +
Ease of manufacture | 3 | + | - | ++ | +
Cable management/features| 2 | - | + | - | +
Aesthetic/appeal | 1 | S | + | - | +

Legend: ++ much better, + better, S same, - worse
(Weights reflect importance; higher weight = more important. You can adjust based on your team.)

Talk-through of Pugh chart ratings (brief per criterion):
- Portability (weight 3): #1, #3, #4 all fold flat and are light; #2 must be clamped and has a larger arm, so datum = S; #1/#3/#4 get +.
- Stability (weight 4): #2 (clamped) is most stable (datum +). #4 hybrid provides improved stability over #1 because of locking tab + weighted strip, so +. #1 is S: decent but hinge friction may wobble. #3 worse: cardboard/prone to sagging.
- Adjustability (weight 3): #2 and #4 both allow multiple angle choices; #1 has adjustable hinge but fewer discrete positions; rated + for #1/#4. #3 limited: -.
- Cost (weight 4): #3 (single molded sheet) is cheapest (++) ; #1 and #4 use more material/parts so + ; #2 (telescoping metal, clamps) is costlier (-).
- Ease of manufacture (weight 3): #3 simplest (++) ; #1 and #4 relatively simple (+) ; #2 complex (-).
- Cable management/features (weight 2): #2 can route cables easily due to arm but adds complexity (+); #4 explicitly includes cable channel so +; #1 lacks features (-); #3 lacks features (-).
- Aesthetic/appeal (weight 1): #2 and #4 are modern looking (+); #1 neutral (S); #3 low aesthetic (-).

Calculated (weighted) summary (example scoring method):
- Convert symbols to scores: ++ = +2, + = +1, S = 0, - = -1. Multiply by weight and sum.
#1 score = (Portability +1*3) + (Stability 0*4) + (Adjust +1*3) + (Cost +1*4) + (Manufacture +1*3) + (Features -1*2) + (Aesthetic 0*1) = (3)+(0)+(3)+(4)+(3)+(-2)+(0)=11
#2 score = (Portability 0*3)+(Stability +1*4)+(Adjust +1*3)+(Cost -1*4)+(Manufacture -1*3)+(Features +1*2)+(Aesthetic +1*1) = (0)+(4)+(3)+(-4)+(-3)+(2)+(1)=3
#3 score = (Portability +1*3)+(Stability -1*4)+(Adjust -1*3)+(Cost +2*4)+(Manufacture +2*3)+(Features -1*2)+(Aesthetic -1*1) = (3)+(-4)+(-3)+(8)+(6)+(-2)+(-1)=7
#4 score = (Portability +1*3)+(Stability +1*4)+(Adjust +1*3)+(Cost +1*4)+(Manufacture +1*3)+(Features +1*2)+(Aesthetic +1*1) = (3)+(4)+(3)+(4)+(3)+(2)+(1)=20

Interpretation:
- #4 Hybrid Folding Plate scores highest (20) — best balance of portability, stability, adjustability, cost, manufacturability, and features.
- #1 (folding plate) decent (11) but lacks features and robustness.
- #3 (origami) very cheap and easy to make (7) but lacks durability, stability, and features.
- #2 (telescoping) is flexible but heavy, costly, and complex (3).

Part 4 — Your OWN conclusion to the Pugh chart
(Provide a short individual conclusion you can submit.)

Sample conclusion:
After comparing four concepts against key criteria (portability, stability, adjustability, cost, manufacturability, features, and aesthetics), the Hybrid Folding Plate (Idea #4) is the best overall choice for our problem: it folds flat for portability, provides secure multi-angle locking for stability, includes cable management, and is inexpensive enough for student budgets. It balances manufacturability and features better than the telescoping clamp (too costly/complex) and is more durable and functional than a simple origami stand. Therefore I recommend moving forward with detailed design and prototyping of the Hybrid Folding Plate with locking tab and removable weighted strip.

Final design sketch — labelled detailed sketch (everyone must create their own)
----- Page 6: Final Detailed Sketch — Hybrid Folding Plate Stand (my detailed personal design) -----
(Description + labeled parts and suggested dimensions/materials you can draw)

Overview (purpose): Compact multi-angle phone/tablet stand for students — holds phones up to 8.5 cm wide or small tablets up to 10" in landscape.

Parts (labelled):
A. Back plate — 140 mm wide x 120 mm tall x 3 mm ABS plastic with 1.5 mm rubber pad glued where device touches.
B. Base plate — 140 mm wide x 70 mm deep x 3 mm ABS plastic. Front lip 6 mm tall x 5 mm deep (to stop device).
C. Hinge with multi-slot locking ladder — integrated polymer hinge molded into plates with 3 slots (locking positions) giving approx. 30°, 45°, 60° viewing angles. Slots are 2 mm wide, reinforced.
D. Rubber grippy feet — four small rubber pads (5 mm dia) under base for anti-slip.
E. Cable channel — 4 mm deep x full-width groove along center front of base, with small cutout to route charging cable under the device.
F. Removable weighted strip — thin 50 mm x 10 mm thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) clip at base rear with embedded 10 g steel strip for extra stability; snaps onto base.
G. Assembly features — snap-fit clips molded into hinge area to allow hinge tolerance and friction adjustment screw hole if needed.

Materials:
- Plates: ABS 3 mm (stiff, durable), or 2 mm injection-molded polypropylene if cheaper.
- Rubber pads: silicone or TPE.
- Weighted strip: TPE outer with stainless steel shim insert.

Dimensions (recommended):
- Folded thickness: ~8 mm (plates stacked with hinge).
- Weight: <100 g (without weighted strip), +10–20 g with strip.
- Supports phones up to 200 g and small tablets up to 400 g (test and iterate).

Features:
- Three discrete angles secured by locking ladder — no loose friction hinge to fail.
- Cable channel keeps charging cable out of sight and prevents device from being knocked when charging.
- Removable weighted strip for unstable surfaces or wider tablets.
- Folds flat for easy storage in backpack or laptop sleeve.

Sketch notes (for your drawing):
- Draw two flat plates joined at hinge; show the front lip on base and rubber pad on back plate.
- Indicate the locking ladder slots on the hinge edge and the locking tab that inserts into a slot (show dashed lines for the tab).
- Show cable channel as a shallow groove centered on base with a small notch at front edge.
- Mark dimensions next to parts in mm, and label materials.

If you want, I can:
- Produce a printable sheet with each “page” formatted separately for submission.
- Generate an editable Pugh chart in CSV or table format you can paste into a document.
- Redo all sketches and analysis for your specific design problem instead of the sample.

Which would you like next?