Design The Venue

Now that you have selected and explored your chosen sport, it is time to start thinking about the venue which your group will design.  As you go through the design process, keep the information you collected during the Explore Section close at hand -- it will help to guide your decisions.  Building a venue model requires a lot of planning to avoid problems during construction.  Everything must be accounted for, from the amount of space required for the event, to the types of materials you will use.

The Design Process

1.  Identify Problem/Opportunity

You have to design and build a model venue for the Winter Olympics.

2.  Develop a Design Brief

 Download the DB Sheet.  Each group member should be responsible for a portion of the project.  A design brief is a short, one page maximum, description of what each person will do and what the goals of the project are.

3.  Investigation and Research

Your Exploration in the previous section basically completes this section.

4.  Generating Alternative Solutions

Each group member is responsible for sketching and outlining a general design of his/her own.  NOTE: Artistic skill is not a factor here (though it helps).

5.  Choosing a Solution

Each team member will present his/her solution to the group and, together, all members will decide which solution or solutions are best for use.  Consideration should be given to all elements of each solution -- not only the plan but the feasibility of the plan as well.

6.  Developing the Solution

This is the stage where you take the chosen solution and you refine it, making it complete.  Use SketchUP to design your model.  You should use the sketches and outline as a guide to prepare a finished plan for the model venue.  This will include detailed scale diagrams, materials lists, etc. 

7.  Modeling and Prototyping

This will be completed in the next section:  Building the Model

8.  Testing and Evaluating

Download the Project Evaluation Sheet and fill it in.  This sheet will give you the chance to describe what worked and what didn't go as planned in your model.  It will also give you the chance to evaluate yourself and your group members.

9.  Redesigning and Improving

Often, designers have to go back and make changes to their work.  You do not have to complete this stage of the design process though, it is a good idea to think about and the changes you might make if you had the opportunity.  Make sure that you refer to this during your presentation.