Engineering Communication

Engineering System Investigation Process

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th e

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y Ph

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Civil & Environmental Engineering

Engineering System Design Process

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Written and Oral Communication

Engineers market their skill through the ability to communicate. Without that skill, engineers are shut out of decision making and, worse, career advancement. Engineers need to be proficient in the following types of communication:
Written: reports, proposals, memos, emails, instructions, meeting minutes Oral: final presentations, design reviews Visual: sketches, drawings, tables, graphs, charts, posters, slides Mathematical: equations, statistical analyses Interpersonal: team meetings, interviews
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 Engineers often use several kinds of communication at a time.

They support oral presentations with written slides, which contain drawings, tables, and other visual elements. They write reports using mathematical elements such as statistical analysis of test data, which may be illustrated by visual elements such as tables and graphs. They use written agendas to organize team meetings, where they focus on sketches of design ideas.

In communicating, engineers use a variety of media: paper, email, electronic files, fax, telephone, video, projectors, etc. Each medium imposes specific requirements on engineers as they shape what they want to communicate. Writing is the most commonly used form of communicating among engineers. Your writing communication needs to be clear, complete, well-edited, and respectful.
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Both Writing and Design Are Iterative

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Types of Writing in Engineering

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 Planning Your Written and Oral Communication

There Are 4 Elements To Keep In Mind Audience
Who will be reading your writing or listening to you talk? What does your audience already know? What do they need to know? What questions will be on their mind?

Purpose
What do you want your audience to do or know after reading the document or listening to you speak? What does your audience expect the document or presentation to help them understand or do?

Content
What do you need to say to accomplish that purpose? What is the best way to organize what you will say?

Tone
How do you need to sound to accomplish your purpose? Formal or informal? Assertive or questioning?
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Client, Users, Teammates, Experts

Structure Categories Headings Start Finish Emphasis Details

The Communication Square

There are no absolute rules for what to say and how to say it ! There is a process the same problem-solving approach you take to design applies to communication.

Respectful Serious Polite Considerate Positive Concern

Inform, Persuade, Instruct, Request

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Oral Presentations
Preparing the Presentation
Organizing the presentation Making the presentation persuasive Preparing effective slides

Delivering the Presentation

Delivering the oral presentation effectively Using the prototype to communicate your design Managing presentation technology Presenting in a professional way Rehearsing the presentation
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Engineering Communication

 Good engineers need to be good talkers. They need to identify and explain problems, propose solutions, persuade others to take a particular action, and give reasons for their decisions. The primary purpose of your presentation is to explain your design and persuade others that it is an excellent solution to the problem. Four different groups will comprise your audience: Your client / user who wants to know how your design solves the problem Your instructors who will evaluate your presentation for clarity, persuasiveness, and professionalism Your classmates who want to see your final design Visitors who know nothing about your project and would like to hear a clear, interesting presentation To present your design clearly and persuasively to this diverse audience, your team will need to work together.
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 Preparing the Presentation

Design presentations typically are either 15 minutes (10 minutes design presentation, 5 minutes questions) or 30 minutes (20 minutes design presentation, 10 minutes questions). Content
Brief explanation of the problem, users, and requirements, followed by a detailed explanation of the design and its benefits.

Audience
The main audience is the client / user. Show that you have understood the problem and requirements and have followed a sound research and design process. Make the project understandable to instructors and classmates.

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 Purpose
The purpose is to explain the key aspects of the design and how they fulfill the requirements. Be detailed enough so the client understands the design and is enthusiastic about using it.

Tone
Professional and confident. Avoid using engineering jargon. Dont make the proposal sound like a TV commercial. All statements should be objective and backed by research. During Q & A, be careful to avoid sounding defensive or dismissive. Stand and pay attention throughout the presentation.

Organizing the Presentation

Design presentations generally follow this order: Introduction
Start by introducing your team, client, and project. Create a title slide that includes the name of the project, the name of the client, the date of the presentation, and the names of the team members and your organization. Include a detail that grabs the audiences attention.
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 Agenda
State the major topics your presentation will cover. Make a slide that lists these topics.

Explanation of the Problem

Explain the problem concisely. The explanation of the problem should include the mission statement, users, and major requirements. To persuade your audience of your designs effectiveness, return to the major requirements throughout the presentation and demonstrate how your design fulfills them.

Overview of the Solution

Dont describe the solution in detail at this point; just give your audience the big picture. You might show your final prototype, or a slide containing a photo or drawing, and comment on the main features.

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 Features
Explain all the features of your design and how they satisfy the major requirements. Support your claims of the features benefits with evidence from user testing, reasoning, and the opinions of authoritative sources.

Summary
Use one or more slides that highlight the relationship between features and benefits to summarize how your design satisfies the major requirements. Demonstrate the operation of your prototypes key features.

Recommendations
Recommend steps to refine, further test, and implement the design.

Conclusion
End on a positive note by briefly emphasizing the benefits of the design for users and by thanking your client.

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 Q&A
If no hands go up immediately, wait a minute for audience members to formulate questions.

Making the Presentation Persuasive

To persuade your client that your design solves the problem, present evidence to support your claims. This evidence may come from the authority of experts, the results of testing, and sound reasoning. Be precise in your oral statements.

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 Avoid sounding defensive when your client, instructors, or classmates appear to challenge an aspect of your design during the Q & A session. Dont apologize for lack of time. Take a positive approach. Make strong recommendations.

Preparing Effective Slides

Good slides help you explain your design, summarize research results, highlight benefits, and present evidence. They help audiences visualize your message, stay on track, and remember key points. Poor slides distract the audience from your message. Dont just write slides and slide presentations. Design them with your audience in mind. Use about one slide per minute. Your slides should support, and not be the subject of, your oral presentation.
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 Keep slide text to a minimum. Use key words or brief phrases to highlight points you plan to explain. Use the same style for all bullet points. Phrase bullet points in a grammatically parallel style, i.e., sentences, verb phrases, or noun phrases. Use graphics throughout the presentation to highlight the design problem, highlight the features of the design, emphasize the benefits of the features you present, and illustrate the structure of the design. After preparing a draft of your slides, review them as a team. Slides should have a clear flow and tell a persuasive story.

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 Delivering the Presentation

A successful presentation involves more than just designing good slides. You also need to speak clearly and professionally and to demonstrate your prototype effectively.
Speak Clearly. Be sure to project your voice so you can be heard by those at the back of the room. Maintain eye contact with your audience. Make sure to look at individuals in various parts of the room as you speak. Dont read aloud from notes. Your audience expects you to be the expert on your design and be able to speak without written notes. Dont read slides aloud. Instead, look at each slide briefly, and then turn and talk directly to the audience. Avoid digressions. Stick to the content and organization developed.
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 Stand so that everyone in the audience has an unobstructed view of you and your slides. Use precise language. Avoid vague wording, e.g., pretty close, fairly confident. Repeat each question posed to you and answer it in a straightforward way. If you dont know the answer, be honest and say that you will research it.

Use the Prototype to Communicate Your Design

Your prototype is not identical with your design. It illustrates key features and functions of the design. Be clear on when your prototype does and doesnt correspond with your final design concept. The prototype is probably your most powerful tool in illustrating the design and persuading the client that you have solved the problem. Carefully integrate the display and demonstration of your prototype into the presentation.
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 Decide the best point in the presentation to show your prototype. Display the prototype prominently. Use slides to supplement the demonstration of your prototype. Clearly explain the prototypes functionality.

Managing Presentation Technology

The technology you use to deliver your presentation should complement your message, not overwhelm it. Be prepared for problems.
Test your slide presentation on the equipment you will use. Set the room lights at the appropriate level. Use high-contrast colors. Test all multimedia in advance. Have backup copies of all files on hand.
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 Presenting in a Professional Way

All members of the team are expected to take a visible, active role in the presentation and present themselves professionally.
Dress professionally. Introduce group members at the start of the presentation and list their names on the title slide. Introduce and thank the client. Assign each team member a role in both the formal presentation and the Q & A period. Make smooth handoffs from person to person during the presentation. Stand and pay attention throughout the presentation even when you are not speaking.
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 Rehearsing the Presentation

Rehearsing as a group makes a tremendous difference in the quality of the presentation because it helps each person become more confident and relaxed. It also provides an opportunity to make changes to your content, organization, and delivery. Take turns observing and making notes on content, organization, delivery, and technology. Check the time length!
Content. Is the main message getting through? Are we providing enough or too much detail? Organization. Does the order of points make sense? Are there points that need to be explained sooner? Delivery. Can each person be heard and understood? Is the prototype demonstration effective? Are the slides helpful? Do the visuals connect to what the speaker is saying? How can each person improve his or her part of the presentation? Technology. Are we handling the equipment unobtrusively? Have we resolved all potential hardware and software conflicts? If something goes wrong, do we have a backup plan?
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