Final Presentation
Background
The final project milestone is a formal presentation that is attended by the entire class, all instructors, and guests from product development firms. The presentation is structured as a new product launch event. It takes place during the evening on December 12rh in MIT's Kresge Auditorium and contributes to 10% of your grade. The presentation provides each team with the opportunity to show their work to a wide audience that includes academics and industry representatives. It will help you learn how to prepare a polished technical presentation that is intended for a diverse, but educated, technical, non-technical, and business-oriented audience. You want to demonstrate your prototype and may present customer data, market information, specifications, or benchmarks for your product. The audience will evaluate your work. The evaluation form asks guests to rate the quality of your presentation, your product, and your customer data. This information will be provided to each team as feedback. Pictures from previous final presentations are on the right. You may view final presentations from past years in the gallery.Requirements
- An alpha prototype of their product: to demonstrate. This prototype is a looks-like and works-like version of the final product. It should be detailed and resolved like a real product, and thinking about the overall form and integration of the product is important. So please pay attention to this aspect and take full advantage of the industrial design consultation opportunity being offered (see events page)
- A business case for the product: explaining how the product will reach the intended market and a simple economics case for why the product will be successful. Please review these business case tutorial slides for guidance on developing the numbers to support your business model and take advantage of the business case consultation session for help. The business case is not turned in, but is presented in the formal presentation.
- A 7-minute presentation. The goal of the presentation is to display the merits of your design: the prototypes, key needs, technical innovation, how it could be realized as a product (simplified business case featuring how your product will reach its intended users), and outstanding issues. Presentations typically include elements such as product demonstrations, slides and animations. It is advisable to show the product at the start of the presentation.The presentation slides will be transferred to a 2.009 computer for the final presentation event. They must meet the following requirements: Powerpoint or Keynote file with an aspect ratio of 16:9. Note: This is not the default ratio! It is much easier to set this when you start the file than to change it afterwards.
- A product sheet in PDF format that will be made available on the final presentation website. These product sheets are due the Sunday before the final presentation. A nice photo (preferred) or CAD image of the prototype will also be submitted at this time. This should be a photo of your prototype against a neutral background (think typical product shot image you might see in a catalog).
- Finally, each team will participate in a 4-minute Q&A period immediately after their presentation.
Rehearsals leading up to the show
Final rehearsal with instructors
Technical and communications instructors, course instructors and TAs
Friday, December 9, 5-8:30pm, Room 1-190
| 5:00 PM | Gold |
| 5:30 PM | Green |
| 6:00 PM | Purple |
| 6:30 PM | Pink |
| 7:00 PM | Blue |
| 7:30 PM | Red |
| 8:00 PM | Orange |
Presenter rehearsal with Communication Instructors
Communications instructors
Sunday December 11, 11am-4:15pm, Kresge little theater
Presenters are required, other team members are welcome. See reserved slots below (presenters will go from this to Kresge main stage for production runthrough).| 11:00 AM | Gold |
| 11:45 AM | Green |
| 12:30 PM | Purple |
| 1:15 PM | Pink |
| 2:00 PM | Blue |
| 2:45 PM | Red |
| 3:30 PM | Orange |
Final rehearsal with production team
Production team (Studio 125)
Sunday, December 11, 12pm-5:15pm, Kresge main stage
| 12:00 PM | Gold |
| 12:45 PM | Green |
| 1:30 PM | Purple |
| 2:15 PM | Pink |
| 3:00 PM | Blue |
| 3:45 PM | Red |
| 4:30 PM | Orange |
Final sequence runthrough
Production team (Studio 125)
Monday, December 12, 2pm-5:30pm, Kresge main stage
| 2:00 PM | Gold |
| 2:30 PM | Green |
| 3:00 PM | Purple |
| 3:30 PM | Pink |
| 4:00 PM | Blue |
| 4:30 PM | Red |
| 5:00 PM | Orange |
Grading
The final presentation contributes to 10% of your grade. In order to receive the team grade for this milestone, you need to meaningfully contribute to the team's effort for this milestone. Factors contributing to the grade include:- alpha prototype execution
- quality of the presentation
- business model & product cost - are they plausible?
- Q&A performance
- digital brochure
Overall Logistics
- The final presentation will be from 7:30-9:00 PM in Kresge Auditorium on December 12th. You will need to be in your seats before 7:15 PM!
- There will be 15 minute run throughs on Monday between 1-4pm in the auditorium.
- Guests start arriving by 6 PM so the rehearsal cannot run late! Everything must be ready to go at 6 PM, no exceptions.
GENERAL INFORMATION FOR THE SHOW
There are 7 minutes for each presentation, followed by a 4 minute discussion period and a maximum of 4 minutes for transition between teams. It's important that you stay within your allotted time to keep the overall presentation moving! The lobby will have displays and audio so that standby ticket holders can watch while they wait, and the Little Theater will also be set up as an overflow venue and waiting area for standby guests. A webcast will be linked on the course home page. Guests will use a review form to provide feedback but your team's grade for the final presentation will be determined by your team instructors. Your presentation design and execution is an important component of the review.- Don’t use too many words on slides
- Ensure your slides are in 16:9 ratio
- Upload in powerpoint format (not keynote or google slides)
- Don’t introduce your presentation by team color
- Don’t ask if there are any questions or have a question slide
- Finish with a strong landing image
- Q&A moderator will moderate questions session
- Select a projection assistant from each team to ensure slides are projected correctly
- Your set will have been moved onstage in darkness
- After your team video the lights will go up and you will be onstage
- Ellen and Josh will do a brief intro and then it will be over to you
- 7 minute presentation/demo
- Team members for Q&A will wait backstage during presentation
- When presentation is finished, presenters should end with thank you.
- Q&A moderator (Georgia) will lead team members waiting backstage onstage
- 4 minute Q&A
- April and Rich will be moderating microphones in the audience
Kresge logistics
- Don’t enter or leave Kresge seating area while another team is presenting
- Watch on screen in lobby until teams presentation is over then return to your seats
- Be very quiet in Kresge foyer during the presentations (doors to auditorium will be open)
- Start moving backstage on-time
- Communicate with staff member
- Don’t use elevator or move onto backstage during presentations
TIming
- 5:15-6pm: final foyer cleanup, pick up wristbands and name tags
- All coats, bags, supplies go in rehearsal room, name cards will be in room
- 6pm: Pappalardo lab closes
- 6pm: Guests arriving
- 6:45pm: Doors to auditorium open
- 7:00pm: Gold should be backstage
- 7:15pm: You must be seated in your team area
| Presentation order |
| Gold |
| Green |
| Purple |
| Pink |
| Blue |
| Red |
| Orange |
| When Q&A starts for | Team presenters, set setup crew leave for move backstage* | Team Q&A participants leave for backstage |
| Gold | Purple | Green |
| Green | Pink | Purple |
| Purple | Blue | Pink |
| Pink | Red | Blue |
| Blue | Orange | Red |
| Red | Orange | |
| Orange |