Research Topic/Question

How do engineers of today effectively communicate their product to the consumers?

(Sales/Marketing)
(Efficiency/Concise)
(Design/Pictures)
(Charts)
(Solidworks?/CAD)
(Language?)
(Videos)
(Readings)

Interviews are worth three citations.
Interview Uncle Mark.
Interview Advisor.
Interview Dr. M
Interview Dr. Feve


Scholarly Articles:

-Examples of Engineers communicating their product.
     -A specific product

-Example of research on marketing in engineering? (communication of product)
     -Guidelines of communication
     -General Patterns of communication
     -Effectiveness of communicating

-Example of Professor's view on communicating product.
      -Interview a professor

-Real Life Example
      -Interview/Email someone in the field

Audience: Approach of Marketing Consultant for Engineers to come or for the students who must perform the same research.


Source 1: http://www.jstor.org.proxy.lib.iastate.edu/stable/2632480?seq=2

Patterns of Communication among Marketing, Engineering and Manufacturing-A Comparison between Two New Product Teams

Abbie Griffin and John R. Hauser

Management Science , Vol. 38, No. 3 (Mar., 1992) , pp. 360-373

Published by: INFORMS

Article Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/2632480

Source 2: http://www.jstor.org.proxy.lib.iastate.edu/stable/257544

Organizational Strategy, Structure, and Process

Raymond E. Miles, Charles C. Snow, Alan D. Meyer and Henry J. Coleman, Jr.

The Academy of Management Review , Vol. 3, No. 3 (Jul., 1978) , pp. 546-562

Published by: Academy of Management

Article Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/257544

Source 3:

Quantifying producer and consumer-based eco-efficiencies for the identification of key ecodesign issues

Park, Pil-Ju ; Tahara, Kiyotaka

Journal of Cleaner Production, 2008, Vol.16(1), pp.95-104 [Peer Reviewed Journal]

Source 4:

Say what?: The importance of effective communication in engineering

Miceli, Marybeth

JOM, 2011, Vol.63(12), pp.25-25 [Peer Reviewed Journal]

Source 5:

Communication Patterns of Engineers

Carol Tenopir Donald W King; Donald Ward King

Hoboken John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2004

Pg. 30 in specific for stats of communication.

Source 6:

"New Crane Cab Creates a Safer Job Site." Altec. Altec Industries Inc, 18 Feb. 2014. Web. 06 Mar. 2014.

Source 7:

            "Volvo Trucks - The Epic Split Feat. Van Damme (Live Test 6)." YouTube. YouTube, 13 Nov. 2013. Web. 14 Feb. 2014.

Source 8:



Interview 1:

Montazami, Reza. "Communication in Engineering." Interview by Michael T. Wuestenberg. 9 March 2014.

Interview 2:

Textual Rhetorical Analysis Final Draft

Engineering is more than design and innovation. There is a marketing side in which the engineers must be able to communicate their ideas to the consumers. They must convince these people that their product is better than the previous one, and that it is the best design, surpassing the competition. Altec is a company that designs the equipment and vehicles that many electrical or construction companies use. This article by Altec explains their new idea of adding a front entrance to their cranes. The author shows that engineers must be able to communicate their innovative ideas to their cliental so that they are aware of the advancements they are making. 

The author uses safety and convenience as the backbone of communicating Altec’s new and improved design. This article states that Altec is the first crane designers to ever include a front entrance on a crane, meaning they are the first ones to have both a side entrance and a front entrance. When I read that I was actually quite shocked. It makes sense to me that a crane would need to have entrances available in both location due to safety hazards of debris or materials falling and blocking an entrance. The cranes cab also has a tilt feature that can be tilted up to 20 degrees which maximizes viewing. In my mind this seemed like something unnecessary because 20 degrees isn't much. However, as I thought about it more these people knew what they were doing. A crane operator needs to be as to see the end of his crane and what is being lifted or placed and this 20 degree tilt added to his line of vision is probably all the operator would need. Without that additional 20 degrees I am sure the operator would have to strain and move awkwardly within the cab just to see what he's controlling at the end of the crane. Another design feature includes Plexiglas windows so that if debris were to fall on the cab the glass wouldn’t shatter and potentially cut up the operator. It makes sense that the author includes the specific improvements, because if he or she just talked about how they made improvements to the crane, but never got into detail about the specifics of the improvements the audience would, in my opinion, just consider it a bunch of fluff. I believe the author did an excellent job at using his evidence of improvement to show the audience how they are making advancements. These few examples also show how the details that the author uses appeal to the consumer’s logic. Since the audience is primarily engineers and engineers are known for their logic and reasoning, I believe the author was smart in choosing to appeal to the logical side of the audience.

The author uses an approach that is very efficient in the way he or she communicates to the audience. Efficient can me different things throughout various fields, however, in this instance I would consider it to be giving the information to the audience with as few words as necessary, but still being able to get their ideas across. I would consider this textual approach to be “classic” in engineering writing. I mean that the strategy of using short and concise statements within their writing is something that engineers have been using since the beginning of its existence. This simple idea of efficiency shows that the writer was only including the most important parts of this new innovation in the article. It also shows that he or she was writing for an audience of engineer type consumers. He or she knew that they would communicate in a similar way, and would appreciate the short and concise article. The author breaks down each of the most important parts of the new design and writes a quick detailed description of how this helps consumers, and why Altec felt it would be an important feature.

The author uses a common way of delivery within engineering. He or she uses a numbered list format. I personally would shy away from lists when it comes to writing, but I actually think this works well for this article. As I talked about earlier the article is constructed in a very short and concise way, and I believe that the numbered list format coincides with this use of efficiency. It allows the author to communicate his ideas with ease, and the audience is able to break down each specific idea. Another reason why I think the list is a good idea is the fact that this article includes pictures. It has a picture demonstrating to the potential consumers how each specific feature works, and the author has a picture to go with each number in the list. I would say that including pictures in this article is genius. Pictures are worth a thousand words, and I think most engineers are visual learners and would prefer to see a picture of something than a detailed article about. The author does a fantastic job at using the combination of pictures and the list to deliver his or her ideas.

As you can see the author does an excellent job at communicating the new advancements of this crane to the audience in a very appealing way. The audience is primarily going to be engineers or engineer types that love being able to read through articles that are short and sweet. The author does a swell job at using efficiency throughout the context of this article, while still including supporting details to provide evidence to the potential consumers. The author also designed the layout of the article to appeal to the engineering consumers, so that they could incorporate a visual with the text. In my opinion marketing within engineering is not exactly easy. However, this author does a fantastic job at proving to the audience that this advanced product is the best. 

Textual article

http://www.altec.com/new-crane-cab-creates-a-safer-job-site/

Textual Rhetorical Analysis

             Engineering is more than design and innovation. There is a marketing side in which the engineers must be able to communicate their ideas to the consumers. They must convince these people that their product is better than the previous one, and that it is the best design, surpassing the competition. Altec is a company that designs the equipment and vehicles that many electrical or construction companies use. This article by Altec explains their new idea of adding another entrance for their cranes. The article shows that engineers must be able to communicate their innovative ideas to their cliental so that they are aware of the advancements they are making.

           Altec uses safety and convenience as the backbone of their new and improved design. I personally feel that almost every engineering company in the world uses this same idea of safety and convenience, but it must continue to persuade cliental because these companies keep using it. I have come to realize that engineering is all about improvement and efficiency and this article certainly proves the "improvement" side of engineering. Adding a front entrance to a crane seems like something small and simple that anyone could think of right? Well this article states that Altec is the first crane designers to ever include this feature on a crane, that is they are the first ones to have both a side entrance and a front entrance. When I read that I was actually quite shocked. It makes sense to me that a crane would need to have entrances available in both location due to safety hazards of debris or materials falling and blocking an entrance. The cranes cab also has a tilt feature that can be titled up to 20 degrees which maximizes viewing. In my mind this seemed like something very little because 20 degrees isn't much. However, as I thought about it more these people knew what they were doing. A crane operator needs to be as to see the end of his crane and what is being lifted or placed and without this 20 degree tilt I am sure the operator would have to strain and move awkwardly with in the cab just to see what he's controlling at the end of the crane. Also, the 20 degrees that it moves is probably all it needs due to the fact the entire cab is clear and your line of vision expands upon that. 

Delivery:

All of these features are described in a very efficient engineering like way. The whole format seems to make sure that consumer understands the point, without boring them. It is set up with pictures throughout, and the paragraphs seem to be organized in a manner that is sequential. The only thing I would do different with this article is to give it a better conclusion by wrapping up everything they have talked about.

Substance:

The text doesn’t get into real technical detail, but it defines their product giving the reader a visual that clearly communicates to the consumer. Most consumers will have a general understanding of specifics in engineering, but the Altec article doesn’t necessarily require any of that. The only background knowledge might be that of how a crane usually looks or works, and that is almost common knowledge in today’s day and age.

Organization:

The article is organized in a list format. It allows a direct response to each feature that is included with this design. It allows shows all of the text on the left with the photos on the right side, once again showing the efficiency so it is easy for the reader to digest. The visuals can also be incorporated with the text so it is easy to picture what the writer is talking about.

  

Visual Rhetorical Analysis

Marketing is something that is necessary within any business. The consumers must be aware of the product and how it may satisfy their wants or needs. Within Engineering there are all sorts of ways to appeal to the consumer. A company can put emphasis on their brand or logo to make it known, they can show their work force and the ideas behind their company, or they can prove to the audience how advanced their technology is. The Volvo commercial uses the strategy of showing off their advanced technology with a man who is clearly full of mystery to demonstrate how great of a product they can supply. As I watched this commercial I was full of preconceived ideas about this man in the commercial and the company of Volvo itself. 

The commercial starts off by staring at the featured face of an older man who looks to be around his fifties. I observed a face aged by a life full of experience and wisdom, yet I got a sense that the man has faced tough times throughout his days, giving him a strong confidence in his abilities. Why did I think this? I saw wrinkles on his face. His jawline was well defined, and the man’s hair was a brown color that seemed as if it was in the process of turning gray. His eyes are closed as if he is meditating deeply on a specific thought or many thoughts. This left me questioning. Why are his eyes closed? Is he relaxed and calm or is he trying to avoid seeing something? What is going through his head? A narrator started speaking with a masculine voice that contained a slight accent in it, while a soft melody played in the background. I assumed the accent was German or Australian or something non-American from the way that the narrator didn’t form his words completely and they seemed to drag on slightly longer than a regular American accent. I assumed the narrator’s voice was this of the man. The voice had a certain booming power that seemed to match the vibe the man gave off.

Just then the man’s eyes open up and the camera pans out slowly. I saw he was most definitely relaxed. He was standing still but I couldn’t tell what he was standing on. I felt like he was a freaking ninja or something the way the man remained so calm. He also had his arms crossed as if he was making a bold statement that he was a bad ass and that you don’t want to mess with him or you will seriously regret it. The gloves he wore were the kind you might see on a street fighter and this only supported my idea even more. The camera zoomed out further and further. I could tell he was in the air standing on the mirrors of two different semis. I listened to the words the narrator said “I have had my ups and downs, my fair share of bumpy roads and heavy winds. That’s what made me what I am today.” I was shocked. Now my assumption of the man thinking he was a bad ass became a fact.

I noticed that not only was the man standing in between two semis, but that those semis were going backwards! It took a bit to notice, but the lines on the road were a clear indication of the direction. The simple fact that the semis were going backwards with a man balancing in between them was a clear indication of how good these semi drivers must be. No ordinary semi driver could back a big rig up with a trailer on it this well. Then the semis started to inch further away from each other until the man in the middle was doing the splits. I thought this guy has got to be in his fifties and he is doing the freakin splits. He has to stretch every day for at least an hour because I am pretty flexible myself and there is no way in heck I could do the splits. I mean this guy is the definition of dedication. I thought he must have been in the military or something with this kind of discipline. He was crazy. Now not to mention these semi drivers, they had to be professionals or there was a computer controlling the vehicles because their driving was spot on. I could see the shadows of the drivers so I knew that real people were in control of the vehicles.

Since this was a Volvo commercial, I assumed they were trying to get the message across that their system is the smoothest of any tractor trailer available and their steering is easy and precise. Obviously, these thoughts came to my head from the fact that a man was doing the splits between two semis that were going down an open airport runway backwards. This engineering was quite advanced. They must have an advanced dynamic steering system in order to perform such a stunt. As the commercial approached its end, the melody in the background took over. The camera was fully zoomed out, and you could see that these semis were still backing up while the man did the splits between them. In the background there was a sunset and I couldn’t help but think to myself that the creators of this commercial had set this up perfectly for the viewer to continue pondering on their fascinating product. It felt like the end of a long war movie where the main character dies and you can’t help but feel like you will be stuck mourning over this fictional characters loss forever.

This Volvo commercial certainly uses the ethos side of rhetoric to create an association between the badass man and their company. They drew in my attention by making me feel a sense of awe about whom the man was and what he was doing. I then saw that the semis in the commercial were Volvo semis and automatically my mind linked this logo with the emotional idea of amazement that came about from the man doing splits between two semis going backwards. I am sure this may also relate to the logos idea in rhetoric because logically the Volvo semis in the commercial must be designed to perfection in order to completely such a task. Their steering systems had to be very sensitive as well as the overall design of the semi because the way it moved with ease backwards is not something a regular semi could do.

        This commercial caused me to think about so many more details than those that were visually present about the man and the Volvo semis. I automatically started making assumption about the man in the commercial, and the feelings of wonder brought about many thoughts regarding who he was and what he was doing. I tried to answer these questions using my rhetorical analysis, and this caused me to connect with the commercial. I believe this form of advertising used by Volvo is genius due to the fact that the emotions I had about the man being a wise and strong individual carried over into my opinion about Volvo. I associated the two together, and even though I don’t know a whole lot about Volvo I think they must be pretty good at their engineering, or at least pretty good at engineering their steering dynamics and control. As a consumer I definitely have a positive opinion about this company and their designs, as well as how they market their products.  

Citation:
            "Volvo Trucks - The Epic Split Feat. Van Damme (Live Test 6)." YouTube. YouTube, 13 Nov. 2013. Web. 14 Feb. 2014.

Visual Rhetorical Analysis Rough Draft

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cbVFQP4y2U

I believe this author is trying to communicate to the audience who advanced these machines are, and how they are such a smooth riding vehicle. The audience would be any consumer who would be interested in the use of this vehicle, but also the average person who would by any vehicle from Volvo. The details that give me this impression would be the fact that he talks about defying the laws of physics, and "a body crafted to perfection." Also the fact that the video displays two semi's going back ward in a smooth motion with a steady feel. These all indicate that he is using the engineering aspect of the vehicle to convey a message to the audience about its sophisticated and advanced technology.

Tought Piece (EA Chp 6)

I feel as though I use Rhetorical Analysis on a daily basis. I feel Rhetorical Analysis is like our own mini Sherlock Holmes that uses every bit of detailed information our mind has gathered and uses it to create a profile or an idea of what the purpose is for that person or writing or text or tweet. I know a specific example would be the other day when we had to do a physics lab with a partner. No one wants to get a lousy partner who doesn’t know what they are doing and just jacks around the whole time. So I scanned the room as soon as I walked in to see if there was anyone who looked like they would be good at physics. I’d never met anyone in my class before so how could I make such a judgment? Well I think that’s where the rhetoric part comes in to play. We can judge people or have preconceived ideas on a person simply by the way that they dress, how they act, their mannerisms, the way they talk or don’t talk, and by how they express themselves. All of these things allow us to have an understanding, or what we view as an understanding of this person. So I used my rhetorical analysis skills and chose to sit next to the Asian who had already started working on the lab. Sure this story is pretty short and sweet but you get the point right? Before I chose my seat I was reading between the lines to determine who would be the best partner. I believe this concept can be used with reading as well. You can look at the details that aren’t directly stated on the paper. If you get to a difficult article you can look at who the author was, what he studied, why he is considered knowledgeable in his field. You can take a look at who he is writing to, and why he even cares to communicate his ideas to his audience. What was going on in the author’s life period at the time this article was being published? Also, what was going on around the world at the time this article was written and published? All of this evidence can allow you to have a better understanding of the reading that you may be doing.  It also allows you as a reader to connect with the reading. Whether you connect by an emotional feeling that the author brings about, a logical thought process that you are contemplating, or the understanding of a specific characteristic, when you are thinking in depth about a specific reading and going deeper than the surface I believe that is what rhetoric is. 

Reflection of Summary

While working on my summary I realized that I had picked the wrong topic to write about. My field is Mechanical engineering so I chose to write about Henry Ford. I looked up a couple of sources that seemed like they would be interesting. They in fact were the exact opposite of interesting. I decided to use the source that was a little less boring. It didn’t talk about the engineering mindset that Henry Ford had, or even engineering in general, but instead it consisted of an article about the Henry Ford museum and the message it portrays. I was miserable during the writing process of the summary, but I got through it. I have done writing assignments similar to this summary in the past and each time the topic I had chosen was something I found to be extraordinarily interesting. I think if I would have been a little more cautious and thorough in my thought process about my topic I may not have struggled with the complete boredom this summary brought me. Obviously, the boredom was the hardest part; however, I feel that it was actually really easy to write. I think it all goes back to the inner critic that we talked about. It is so easy for me to throw my ideas and thoughts on paper now that I am not constantly tripping over the inner critic. I wish I would have had a bit more assistance in choosing my topic, but I also realize this is our responsibility as college students and we need to take full ownership of our work all the way through. It would have helped to have assistance because then I think my mindset would have been a bit more orientated on a topic that is relevant to how writing works in my field. I did not learn a whole lot about writing in my field from this assignment, but I can say that I now know how to better research that exact question. I also have learned that it helps to know what the end result of an assignment is, and then I can be better prepared for it. This summary may not be specifically useful for my end research paper, but it did allow me to learn how I should be better prepared for the future assignments we might have like this.