So ALP finally comes to a close and we all finally get a full (minimum) 7 hours of uninterrupted sleep. Twelve weeks of learning about what constitutes good design, presenting our ideas in print, picture and motion to others in a way that would matter to them (all in Chinese, at that) was enriching and horizon-broadening. Some lessons deepened our convictions about design, others shattered our pre-conceived assumptions about how to design things well. In particular, members of Team Fitting Robot gained a practical perspective on some previously-learnt skills such as 3D modelling with Computer Aided Design, programming a graphical user interface, wiring electronics as well as making and maintaining a communication connection between electronic devices.
But beyond the hard skills we learnt, we also learned about the connections we had with each other. Chatting idly over meals, making fun out of each other’s idiosyncrasies, and extracting fun out of the most mundane tasks or when the deadlines got tight were the moments that we would remember the most, and would be the moments that gave us the most insight into working with others.
Individually, we all gained some things, though intangible, have some meaning to each of us and will follow us as we pass our days back in Singapore through our experiences in Hangzhou.
And with all the work done, this final week is reserved for the packing of our prototypes and holidaying!
