Design Review Process

Owned by Austin Tailon Huang
Last updated: Oct 11, 2022
2 min read

What is a Design Review?

  • A way to ensure your design tasks are on the right track

  • Open forum to receive constructive feedback to improve a design from many perspectives (function, manufacturability, cost, etc)

  • Critical skill in industry - if you can execute a successful design review you are doing great!

Design Review Process for UWRT

1) Preliminary Design Review

  • Used to demonstrate the designer’s understanding of project scope

  • Answers the following (at a broad glance):

    • Why am I doing this design project?

    • Why is it important?

    • What defines a successful design (criteria + constraints + competition rules)

    • Very rough design concept (sketches, incredibly simple CAD)

      • If you have multiple design concepts, include them all. Be prepared to justify which design you want to move forward with

    • Risk Assessment for concepts (technical risks, manufacturing risks, budget risks, etc.)

    • Proposal for design concept (how can you mitigate identified risks, why do you think this design is best to meet criteria, constraints and competition rules

    • Proposed Timeline for Project

2) Critical Design Review

  • Used as a final check before manufacturing or integrating a new design into a system

  • Should include:

    • Review of design scope

    • Review of criteria, constraints + relevant competition rules

    • Review of selected design concept from PDR

    • Detailed CAD overview of new design

    • Circle back as to how this design conforms to all requirements

    • Dive into manufacturing methods for all custom parts

    • Dive into assembly methods for whole assy

    • Cost estimate

    • Material sourcing plan

Best Practices

  • As a designer, you are responsible for working with your team lead to schedule PDRs and CDRs

  • Whole mech team will be invited for a given CDR or PDR plus potential members from other sub teams (i.e. electrical or fw for bigger projects)

  • Documentation for design reviews will be hosted on confluence

  • Finish your CDR and PDR documents and send them out at least 24hrs in advance of schedule review meeting!!!!!

Links

Sample PDR Format Sample CDR Format