Design report - Line spacing / Font

[Jersey Tom]

The rules specify no more than 4 pages of text for the design report submitted, but my stupid/simple question is.. does this necessarily need to be double spaced, single spaced, or other?

[Jersey Tom]

The rules specify no more than 4 pages of text for the design report submitted, but my stupid/simple question is.. does this necessarily need to be double spaced, single spaced, or other?

[PatClarke]

Hi Tom,
The DR text pages can be set out however you choose, but think about the big picture.

Firstly, its your only opportunity to make a first impression. Dont waste it. It is fair to say that a positive impression made will have the Judges enthusiastic about your car, and might just be your ticket to the semifinals!

Secondly, remember the DRs are usually read the first time on a PC screen, so columns are a PITA even though they may look better on a printed page.

Next, some DRs do get printed into books by the judges for their own use at the competition. Most senior judges are just that ..senior, so maybe they dont see as well as they used to, so tiny serif fonts are hard to read. I would suggest 11 point Arial as a minimum. 9 or 10 point Times New Roman is a bitch to read when you get to my age (not all that old) =]

Finally. make sure the document is an easy read and that the grammer and spelling are correct. When I read a sloppy DR it creates a poor impression about the team for me. Get a Journalism major to do the final document.

Don't patronise the judges, they know that the chassis needs to be stiff and they know the benefits of SALA suspension. Don't ever include a statement like "As we all know..." and in particular, don't write that you have "Optimised" something. If we knew what the 'Optimum' was in vehicle design, we would be millionaires =]

Remember, the DR is your car's CV and you are applying for an interview in the Design Semis. Appearance in the Finals depends on how well you do in the semis, but the first big task is to rise above the herd in the initial judging.
In simple terms the DR needs to explain what you have done and why you did it.

The required 3 view illustrations are CRITICAL! Remember the saying that a picture is worth 1000 words. The judges always look at these pictures to get an overall view of what you have done.
Do NOT use lo res JPEG screen dumps for your pix. Try get peoper drawings that shows the judges how your car is made up. Any CAD program can do that. On your optional page, I would put a nice big isometric view, again to help the judges see what you have done.
Needless to say, all the top teams usually (not always) do this. I would love to be able to show some teams how the better teams do the DR, but confidentiality prevents this.

Good luck
Pat

[Jersey Tom]

Thanks a lot, Pat.

[murpia]

Pat's post says it all, really, but if you check on the Formula Student website there are more precise regulations for the format of the Design Report for that event.

These rules were introduced to make the reports more easily readable and comparable, and to encourage decent content rather than flashy presentation.

Regards, Ian