Resources for Registered Teams
Design Expo Informational Session
The Design Expo committee is hosting a virtual information session on Thursday, March 20 at 5:00 pm. The session will cover important information related to the schedule of events, what is expected from students, details about the awards process, and time for Q&A. A recording of the session and a link to the slide deck will be added after the session.
For reference, the info session from last spring and can be found below.
Spring 2024 Information Session Slides
Design Expo Workshops with the Van Pelt and Opie Library
Prepare for Design Expo and other term-end presentations the right way – with peer support, pizza, and help from dedicated library and university staff! You’re invited to four instructional work sessions to help you create compelling videos, visuals, and pitches for the projects you have dedicated so much time to!
Design Scoring
Enterprise and Senior Design teams will be scored by judges over the course of two (2) days, Monday, April 14 through Tuesday, April 15, 2025. Prior to the start of Design Expo, judges will have the opportunity to review team video presentations and assign a score with the use of RocketJudge. During the event, judges will submit additional scores based on your in-person presentation.
Video Submission Guidelines
Each team must submit one video for Design Expo. Keep your team’s size in mind—while it’s great to involve as many members as possible, ensure the video remains clear, concise, and well-structured. It’s okay to limit narrators if it helps maintain a smooth flow.
Audience & Content
Your video should be engaging and accessible to a general audience. Be sure to cover:
- The problem(s) your team is addressing and why they matter
- Your proposed solutions and key results
- Next steps or future recommendations
Video Length & Requirements
- Senior Design: 2½ – 4 minutes
- Enterprise: 5 – 7 minutes
- Captions Required: Videos must include closed captioning for accessibility. Many video editing software include captioning optins, such as Zoom and Adobe Express. Additionally, you can add captions using third-party services such as Amara.org orSubtitle Horse. If captions are unavailable, submit a written transcript.
- Format: MP4 preferred; accepted formats: AVI, WMV, MOV, MPEG (1, 2, 4), 3GP, M2TS, OGG, OGV. YouTube links will not be accepted.
Video Structure
When mapping out your video content, there are a number of elements you should include. This is where you can use your creativity to convey your message - try and be informative without resorting to simply presenting a slideshow style presentation.
- Title slide: Project title, team name, department, and sponsor(s)
- Introduction: Brief overview of your team and project scope
- Project Breakdown:
- Objectives and significance
- Solutions and results
- Conclusions and next steps
- Acknowledgments: Recognize team members, advisors, and sponsors
- Visual Elements: Incorporate graphs, images, simulations, or demonstrations to support your presentation
Music & Sound Guidelines
- Use music thoughtfully—background music should not overpower narration.
- Only use royalty-free or open-source music. Do not use copyrighted tracks.
- Find free music at: SoundCloud, Bensound, or Soundstripe.
Tips for Creating Your Video
There are many ways to create your video. Some easy options include:
- Zoom: Record a voiceover along with images or or use a creative presentation, such as PowerPoint or Google slides.
- Online Editing Platforms: Utilize platforms such as Adobe Express or Canva
- Other Editing Tools: Use tools such as CapCut, DaVinci Resolve, Clipchamp, or other online options.
Final Advice
Do: Use clear voiceovers and visuals to explain your project, problem, solution, and
next steps.
Don’t: Prioritize flashy effects over meaningful content—clarity and strong storytelling
matter most.
Video Submission Deadline
- Deadline: Saturday, April 12, 2025, at 11:59 PM
Booths & Visual Aids
The visual aid is up to your team's interpretation. You are encouraged to display aspects of your project, and for some, that may mean bringing in the actual 'thing' you created. Essentially, you are encouraged to focus on visual data, images, and recordings of an experiment or re-creation of a method. Your focus should be more on a conversation with attendees rather than attendees reading a poster and then asking questions. You are, of course, welcome to make a poster if you believe it will be a better fit for your booth; if your team would prefer to produce a poster, aim for a 36" x 48" or 41.5" x 60" sized poster. If your instructor/department already requires you to create a poster for your project, you may use the same poster for Design Expo.
The library will be holding a workshop on Thursday, March 19, 2025, 2:00-3:00 pm, Library 244 to help you prepare. Register here: “Posters, Images, and Visualizations.”
Both poster or no poster options are perfectly fine for Design Expo. Please make your table display whatever you're comfortable with as a means to speak with folks who stop by to learn more. Please plan to have at least two students at your booth throughout Design Expo 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Sponsor Considerations
Many of your Enterprise and Senior Design projects are sponsored by or involve input from external/industry partners. These projects often include confidentiality and/or formal project agreements (sometimes referred to as ‘contracts’). It is recommended that any team working on such projects review these agreements with their faculty advisor and sponsor before submitting a video for Design Expo. Affected Enterprise and Senior Design teams need to consider the following when preparing submissions for Design Expo.
Confidential or Proprietary Information
Teams often receive data, drawings, know-how, and other confidential information from their sponsors. This type of information would be labeled as such and protected under a project or non-disclosure agreement acknowledged by your team members. Such information must NOT be included in any of your Design Expo materials. Work with your sponsor on what information can be publicly disclosed or ways to make the information non-confidential (e.g., normalizing data). If you are in doubt as to whether your materials contain confidential or proprietary information provided by your sponsor, please have your faculty advisor and sponsor review your materials before presenting in a public setting.
Intellectual Property
Intellectual property refers specifically to patentable inventions and copyrightable software that arise directly from your project(s). If you are in doubt as to whether you have information that could be considered intellectual property, it is a best practice to share your draft Design Expo materials with your faculty advisor and project sponsor for their review before presenting in a public setting.
Sponsor Name Use
Projects conducted under formal student project agreements may include name use restrictions. These restrictions allow teams to reference the project title and the sponsor’s name in Design Expo materials; however, written approval of the sponsoring company is required for any formal publicity, advertising, and news release activities. While participation in Design Expo itself is not considered one of these activities, many sponsors view the Design Expo as a publicity activity. To maintain goodwill with your sponsors, it is recommended that you provide drafts of your Design Expo materials to your sponsor for review and approval at least two weeks ahead of time (or whatever timing has been agreed on by your sponsor).
Publication
Projects conducted under a formal project agreement generally include a publication clause that allows Michigan Tech student teams to present the project title and scope of work for academic purposes including the Design Expo. However, some sponsors have negotiated a review period that teams must honor. Please review the specific terms of your project agreement to make sure your team complies with all contractual obligations to your sponsor.