COMPETING IN THE SMDC
2023 COMPETITION SPONSORS
Award Categories
BEST PROPOSAL | MOST EFFICIENT INSTALLATION | MOST ELEGANT IMPLEMENTATION | MOST EFFECTIVE DESIGN | BEST TEAMWORK | BEST DESIGN DOCUMENT | BEST OVERALL DESIGN
Best Proposal
Members of the team with the best proposal submissions will receive certificates for each team member.
Best Proposal will be awarded based on the following:
- Your proposal should include the following:
- Design specification
- Documentation of concept designs
- Your proposal should address the following questions:
- What is the idea behind your design?
- How does your design work?
- Why is your design the best design?
- What makes your design unique?
- Is your design cost effective?
Written proposals will be judged on completeness, readability, and professionalism
Most Efficient Installation
Team members from the team with the design which loads in the quickest will be awarded the certificates for the Most Efficient Award.
Most Elegant Implementation
Team members from the team with the design which the judges assess as being the most well-implemented will be awarded certificates for the Most Elegant Design Award. (Parameters include using the least number of moving parts; craftsmanship of construction; finish quality of overall device, etc.)
Most Effective Design
Team members from the team with the design which most accurately fulfills the expected requirements of the design challenge (i.e., area of dispersion, duration of effect, rate of effect, etc.) will be awarded certificates for the Most Effective Award.
Best Teamwork
Team members from the team that demonstrates the highest level of collaboration, cooperation, and team work during the calibrating, installation, and testing of their device, and that the judges determine through conversations with participants worked the most collaboratively during the design and construction of their device, will be awarded certificates for the Best Teamwork Award.
Best Design Document
Members of the team with the best design document will receive certificates for each team member.
Best Design Document will be awarded based on the following:
- Detail design materials
- Accurate costing and parts list
These may be combined or separate. Parts list should include part number and supplier, as well as retail costs of donated/borrowed materials - As-built technical drawings
Drawings should accurately, clearly and completely describe the machine being tested at the event. Drawings should be neat and follow USITT Graphic Standards. - Mathematical/engineering analyses demonstrating feasibility of design
- Manuals/user instructions and safety protocols for the device
- Design assessment
- What aspects of the design were particularly successful?
- What improvements could be made and how much would they cost?
- Of those improvements, what would you recommend?
- Team assessment
- Examples of the team’s ability to work well together
- Examples of challenges the team faced working together
- How could the team improve in the future?
- Any other information that you think is relevant
Best Overall Design
Judges will determine the best overall design based on the aggregate of each team’s performance in each of the above categories.
Team members of the overall winner in this category will receive acrylic trophies for each team member and for their sponsoring school. Each team member will also receive a full-conference pass to the 2020 USITT Annual Conference and Stage Expo.
Special awards (including honorable mention certificates in any category) may be created by the judges at the competition.