Nolan's Projects
Planning guide

HOW WE RUN IT

How real engineers run a project when nobody hands them a packet: write your own brief, check in at gates, and control every change after the design is locked.

The four habits

Gates, not due dates
A gate is a checkpoint with a pass mark. We do not move on until the pass mark is met and Dad says yes. No rushing a gate to hit a date.
One log for everything
Every decision, change, fix and test result gets one line in the log the day it happens. Started on day one, not filled in later.
Lock, then change orders
Before G1 we can change anything. After the design is locked at G1, every change goes through a change order (MOC).
Every file has a revision
File names carry the revision, like defense-box-revA2.stl. When a new revision comes out, the old file is deleted so nobody builds from it.

Change orders (MOC)

Management of Change: once the design is locked at G1, nothing gets swapped without these five steps. A loose screw or a typo does not need one. A different part, size, power source or plan does.

  1. 1
    Say what you want and why
    One or two sentences. What is wrong now and what you want instead.
  2. 2
    Check what it touches
    Space, wiring, weight, power, water, safety, cost, the schedule and the field test. Measure, do not guess.
  3. 3
    Pick the parts
    Real parts with real sizes and prices from stores you can check. Write down a backup.
  4. 4
    Get a yes, then lock it
    Dad approves it. It gets the next number: MOC-001, MOC-002 and so on.
  5. 5
    Update everything and test it
    Model, print files, parts list, build steps and this site, all in the same sitting. Then the tests that prove it works.

See the full examples on Dusty's change orders.

Dusty's lessons, gate by gate

Everything we learned the hard way on Dusty, placed at the gate where it gets checked. A gate does not pass until its list is done.

G0 Scope
Every number needs a reason
Dusty: the 300 g limit was a guess and had nothing behind it when we needed to change it.
Decide what the test needs early
Dusty: the speed test needed steady power, which decided the battery. Here: the field test needs a count of visits before we build.
Name things so they never flip
Dusty: left and right swapped depending on where you stood. Name each spot in the yard and each side of the box once and keep it.
G1 Design lock
Measure the space before picking a part
Dusty: the power bank did not fit lengthwise. A two-minute check in the model would have shown it.
Model the cables and plugs too
Dusty: the motor plug hit the base because the model only had the motor.
Check sizes from two places
Dusty: Anker and the store disagreed on the bank thickness. Design for the bigger one.
Check the real part against the model
Dusty: the micro:bit was drawn standing up. A photo of the real part caught it.
Think about using it, not just building it
Where does it charge? Can you reach the switch? Can you see the lights? Outside, also: rain and heat.
Use the holes the part came with
Dusty: screws into the board’s own mounting holes beat zip ties. Use the maker’s drawing for positions.
Write the rules down before asking for code
A spec file with pins, measured numbers and safety rules that Claude reads every time.
G2 Order
Check every link before ordering
Dusty: two stores on the first list could not take orders.
One order per store, all at once
Dusty: parts came in separate boxes over days. A check-in list for every part.
G3 Build
Print a small test first
Dusty: the 10 minute fit check failed and saved a 90 minute print.
Test several sizes at once
Dusty: five sizes on one print, pick the winner.
Check every wire against the color chart
Dusty: black was not ground on those motors. Read the chart, not habit.
Split the problem in half
Dusty: the screen worked, so the problem was power or wires, not code.
A change is not done until every page matches
Dusty: MOC-007 was approved but the guide said zip ties for three days.