Week 6 Design Your future Go back ◀

Activity - Third Time's a Charm

One strategy for designing is to identify the problem you are trying to address and then coming up with three wildly different ideas to solve that problem. So let’s say I want to fix the problem of potholes on Dempster that always make a huge bounce when a car or bus drives over them. One solution could be to fill all the potholes every time they get created. Another solution could be to invent a new type of vehicle that doesn’t have wheels that touch the ground. A third solution could be to take a different road. Okay, so maybe that wasn’t the best example, but the idea is that there are normally a lot of different ways to address a certain problem. So, to get things started, take a minute or two to think about what sports related goal you are trying to solve with your invention idea. Write down that idea in your Data in Motion journal.

Now, come up with your first possible solution to that problem. Make a sketch of that solution, adding whatever details make sense.

Okay, now get another sheet of paper, and go come up with a completely different solution to that same problem. Nothing about this solution should be the same as the previous one, except that it solves the same problem.

Alright, now, do it one more time. Remember, this idea has to be different than the first two.

Okay, now you are going to share your ideas with a friend or family member. The point in making three isn’t that one is the best, the point is that each one probably has some good elements in it, and we can potentially bring them together to make the best possible solution.

So, go ahead and take your three sketches to someone else and explain what each one represents. After you have explained them, asked about their favorite elements of each design.

Add these notes and sketches to your Data in Motion Journal.

After getting feedback from peers, you will make one final sketch. This time try to add some additional details around how the device might work. If you aren’t 100% sure, that’s okay.

Add a picture of the final design to your journal, and include a short description of your invention idea as part of the text submission below.

Activity - Invention Comics

One fun way to think about inventions is to tell stories around them. Today you will make a short comic about one invention idea that you have. The comic should have 5-6 scenes in it, and after reading through the comic, readers should know what your invention does, and why you think it is important.

Upload a picture of your comic as your submission below and into your Data in Motion Journal