Morning announcements

In case any of you weren’t keeping track as we went through the topics, here is a summary of what we’ve covered in your first year.  You can find a set of review cards in the Mezzanine that go over each of these topics in detail.  The “Topic” is how the IB lists the content; you’l find our exercises related to that content on the Floor listed at the end.

In the core content (for both SL and HL), we covered:

• Topic 1 – Anthropometrics and human factors (Floor 5)
• Topic 2 – Resource management and sustainable production (Floors 7 and 8)
• Topic 3 – Modeling, sections .1 to .3 (conceptual, graphical and physical) (Floor 3)
• Topic 4 – Raw materials to final product (Floors 4 and 6)

In the HL content we covered:

• Topic 7 – User centered design & usability, section .1 and .2 (UCD and Usability) (Floor 12)
• Topic 9 – Innovation and markets, section .4 and .5 (Market research and branding) (Floor 14)
• Topic 10 – Commercial production (Floor 15)

In the core, that leaves us only topics 5 (Invention and Innovation) and 6 (Classic design) to cover next year.  In HL, we’ll have the second portion of topic 7, topic 8 (Sustainability) and the first portion of topic 9 (Corporate strategies, market sectors and segments, and marketing mix) to cover next year.

That means you are in great shape in terms of coverage of your content.  How are you feeling about your IA?  Have you spent enough time each week on developing your problem definition, so you have a really thorough and fully fleshed-out problem definition?  The more work you put into it, the easier the rest of your work will become.  If you’ve gone light on effort put into defining the problem, now would be a good time to add a few extra hours of research and user observation (User centered design, remember?), to nail down a fully detailed problem definition.

Morning announcements

In case any of you weren’t keeping track as we went through the topics, here is a summary of what we’ve covered in your first year.  You can find a set of review cards in the Mezzanine that go over each of these topics in detail.  The “Topic” is how the IB lists the content; you’l find our exercises related to that content on the Floor listed at the end.

In the core content (for both SL and HL), we covered:

• Topic 1 – Anthropometrics and human factors (Floor 5)
• Topic 2 – Resource management and sustainable production (Floors 7 and 8)
• Topic 3 – Modeling, sections .1 to .3 (conceptual, graphical and physical) (Floor 3)
• Topic 4 – Raw materials to final product (Floors 4 and 6)

In the HL content we covered:

• Topic 7 – User centered design & usability, section .1 and .2 (UCD and Usability) (Floor 12)
• Topic 9 – Innovation and markets, section .4 and .5 (Market research and branding) (Floor 14)
• Topic 10 – Commercial production (Floor 15)

In the core, that leaves us only topics 5 (Invention and Innovation) and 6 (Classic design) to cover next year.  In HL, we’ll have the second portion of topic 7, topic 8 (Sustainability) and the first portion of topic 9 (Corporate strategies, market sectors and segments, and marketing mix) to cover next year.

That means you are in great shape in terms of coverage of your content.  How are you feeling about your IA?  Have you spent enough time each week on developing your problem definition, so you have a really thorough and fully fleshed-out problem definition?  The more work you put into it, the easier the rest of your work will become.  If you’ve gone light on effort put into defining the problem, now would be a good time to add a few extra hours of research and user observation (User centered design, remember?), to nail down a fully detailed problem definition.

Morning announcements

Morning announcements

I’m interested in retaking the semester exam.

Morning announcements

The deadline for turning in your revised Criterion A has been extended to the end-of-school on Sunday, April 30th.

Sunday April 30th will mark the opening of the Government Inspection for production, the 2nd half of Topic 2.  As usual, you will have the week to take the inspection as many times as you like (with a 2-hour delay between attempts).  It will close on Saturday night, the 6th of May.