"Being a good team member takes work. Most people are used to working on their own - making decisions, prioritizing tasks, and being accountable for their own work. Working with others requires a different approach than working alone. To be a successful part of a team, you need to consider several issues. You should be prepared not to be in charge of everything. For some people, this requires a great deal of effort; for other people, it is less taxing. At times, you will be the supervisor; other times you will be supervised. You need to be flexible and understand that a team consisting only of leaders (or only of followers) is not likely to perform well." (Dennis K Lieu & Sheryl Sorby, "Visualization, Modeling, and Graphics for Engineering Design", 2009)
"Charts are used to represent quantitative data in a graphic format. A chart visually illustrates relationships between numbers. When creating a chart, keep in mind that the goal is to represent the data in a simplified and appealing way so as not to muddle the message the chart is meant to convey." (Dennis K Lieu & Sheryl Sorby, "Visualization, Modeling, and Graphics for Engineering Design", 2009)
"Design is a goal-oriented, problem-solving activity that typically takes many iterations - teams rarely come up with the 'optimal' design the first time around. [...] With each model, improvements were made to the original design such that the minivans of today are much improved compared to the initial product. The key activity in the design process is the development and testing of a descriptive model of the finished product before the product is finally manufactured or constructed." (Dennis K Lieu & Sheryl Sorby, "Visualization, Modeling, and Graphics for Engineering Design", 2009)
"Designers are responsible for the project’s fit and finish, that is, specifying the geometry and sizes of components so they properly mate with each other and are ergonomically and aesthetically acceptable within the operating environment." (Dennis K Lieu & Sheryl Sorby, "Visualization, Modeling, and Graphics for Engineering Design", 2009)
"Information graphics are an essential component of technical communication. Very few technical documents or presentations can be considered complete without graphical elements to present some essential data. Because engineers are visually oriented, graphic aids allow their thoughts and ideas to be better understood by other engineers. Information graphics are essential in presenting data because they simplify the content, offer a visually pleasing alternative to gray text in a proposal or an article, and thereby invite interest." (Dennis K Lieu & Sheryl Sorby, "Visualization, Modeling, and Graphics for Engineering Design", 2009)
"Most importantly, prepare to learn how to be a team member. Share your strengths with the team and be willing to contribute. Remember, the combined efforts of all team members should yield a better outcome than the efforts of one individual. Learn new team skills and be adaptable." (Dennis K Lieu & Sheryl Sorby, "Visualization, Modeling, and Graphics for Engineering Design", 2009)
"Reverse engineering is a systematic methodology for analyzing the design of an existing device or system, either as an approach to study the design or as a prerequisite for redesign. Reverse engineering essentially is a process used to gain information about the functionality and sizes of existing design components. [...] Reverse engineering is a technique within the practice of engineering design that can be useful in several ways. Reverse engineering can save time because there is no need to 'reinvent the wheel' when you can start from existing geometric data. The reverse engineering technique also can help an engineer develop a systematic approach to thinking about and improving the design of devices and systems." (Dennis K Lieu & Sheryl Sorby, "Visualization, Modeling, and Graphics for Engineering Design", 2009)
"Tables work in a variety of situations because they convey large amounts of data in a condensed fashion. Use tables in the following situations: (1) to structure data so the reader can easily pick out the information desired, (2) to display in a chart when the data contains too many variables or values, and (3) to display exact values that are more important than a visual moment in time." (Dennis K Lieu & Sheryl Sorby, "Visualization, Modeling, and Graphics for Engineering Design", 2009)
"The data [in tables] should not be so spaced out that it is difficult to follow or so cramped that it looks trapped. Keep columns close together; do not spread them out more than is necessary. If the columns must be spread out to fit a particular area, such as the width of a page, use a graphic device such as a line or screen to guide the reader’s eye across the row." (Dennis K Lieu & Sheryl Sorby, "Visualization, Modeling, and Graphics for Engineering Design", 2009)
"Whereas charts generally focus on a trend or comparison, tables organize data for the reader to scan. Tables present data in an easy-read-format, or matrix. Tables arrange data in columns or rows so readers can make side-by-side comparisons. Tables work for many situations because they convey large amounts of data and have several variables for each item. Tables allow the reader to focus quickly on a specific item by scanning the matrix or to compare multiple items by scanning the rows or columns." (Dennis K Lieu & Sheryl Sorby, "Visualization, Modeling, and Graphics for Engineering Design", 2009)
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