A. Design Processes and Related Skills · Design Skills: From Idea to Tested Prototype

Project Management: Planning Tasks, Time, Resources and Risks

A1.6 A2.1 A2.2About 75 minutes

Learning goals

I can name project management skills and choose the ones I will use for a project.
I can break a project into tasks, put them in order and estimate how long each takes.
I can make a Gantt chart, find a critical path and plan a budget.
I can identify factors that could affect a project and plan strategies to reduce their impact.

Words to know

project management
Planning, organizing and tracking the tasks, time, people, materials and money needed to finish a project.

scope
Exactly what the project will and will not include.

task
One piece of work in a project, such as "cut the base".

dependency
When one task cannot start until another is finished.

Gantt chart
A bar chart showing when each task starts and finishes on a timeline.

milestone
An important checkpoint, such as "design approved".

critical path
The longest chain of dependent tasks; it sets the shortest possible time for the whole project.

risk
Something that might go wrong and affect the project's time, cost, quality or safety.

Why plans matter

The day before the Winter Carnival, Ethan's class realizes nobody bought cups. The hot chocolate is ready, the sign is beautiful, and there is nothing to serve it in.

This is not a design problem. It is a project management problem. Every trade depends on it: a renovation contractor schedules electricians before drywallers; a catering team orders food days ahead; a garage books parts before the customer arrives. The curriculum asks you to investigate and describe project management skills, and identify the ones you will use (A1.6), use them to develop a process for creating a product or service (A2.1), and identify factors that could affect the project and apply strategies to improve the outcome (A2.2).

Project management skills

Define the scope: what is in, what is out. ("A tablet stand. Not a case, not a charger.")
Break it down: list every task, from research to presenting. Big tasks are split until each is clear.
Sequence: decide the order and find dependencies (you cannot paint before you build).
Estimate time for each task, and add a little extra.
Schedule: put tasks on a calendar or Gantt chart; mark milestones.
Plan resources: materials, tools, workspace, people and money (a budget).
Assign roles in a team, so everyone knows who does what.
Manage risks: list what could go wrong and a plan for each.
Track and adjust: check progress against the plan regularly and update it.
Communicate: keep the client and team informed.

You will not use every skill on every project. A short individual project might need a task list, a simple schedule and a budget. A team service event like the carnival booth needs all ten.

A Gantt chart for Amira's tablet stand. Each bar shows when a task happens; some tasks overlap (sketching continues while research finishes). Diamonds mark milestones.

Dependencies and the critical path

Some tasks can happen at the same time; others must wait. Draw the tasks as boxes with arrows showing what must come first. The critical path is the longest chain. It tells you the shortest time the whole project can take and which tasks you must never let slip.

Tasks and their order (dependencies). The longest chain through the project is the critical path (shaded yellow): any delay on it delays the whole project. Task A can slip one day without causing a delay.

Worked example

Budgeting the hot chocolate booth

The student council gives a budget of $60. Prices: hot chocolate mix $8.99 per tin (about 50 cups per tin, from the label); cups $5.49 per pack of 100; mini marshmallows $3.29 per bag; napkins $2.99 per pack. The class expects about 150 customers at $1 each. Plan the shopping, check the budget and estimate the profit.

Mix: 150 ÷ 50 = 3 tins → 3 × $8.99 = $26.97.
Cups: 150 cups needs 2 packs → 2 × $5.49 = $10.98.
Marshmallows: 2 bags → 2 × $3.29 = $6.58. Napkins: 1 pack = $2.99.
Total: 26.97 + 10.98 + 6.58 + 2.99 = $47.52. Under budget by 60 − 47.52 = $12.48, which is a useful contingency (backup money) for surprises.
Income if 150 cups sell: 150 × $1 = $150. Estimated profit: 150 − 47.52 = $102.48.

Spend $47.52, keep $12.48 in reserve, and expect a profit of about $102 if all 150 cups sell.

Factors that can affect a project, and strategies

Good managers ask, "What could go wrong?" before it does.

Factor	Example	Strategy to improve the outcome
Time	Testing takes longer than planned	Add buffer time; start the riskiest task early
Materials	The store is out of corrugated cardboard	Order early; list an alternative material
Tools and equipment	The only glue gun breaks	Book shared tools in advance; have a backup joining method
People	A teammate is sick on carnival day	Cross-train: two people know each role
Cost	Prices rise before you shop	Keep a contingency of about 10 to 20% of the budget
Weather and environment	Snowstorm closes the school	Pick a backup date; plan indoor options
Skills	No one has used a coping saw	Practise on scrap first; ask for a demonstration
Health and safety	Crowding near the hot urn	Plan the layout with a barrier and one server at the urn

A simple risk register: the factor, an example, and the plan.

Worked example

Planning a process for the tablet stand

Use project management to develop Amira's process: list the tasks in order with time estimates, find any task that can run in parallel, and add two risks with strategies.

Tasks (school days): research and interview (2), sketch ideas (2, overlapping with research by 1 day), decision matrix (1), technical drawing (2, overlapping with the matrix by 1 day), gather materials (1), build prototype (2), test with Sami (1), refine (1), present (1).
Parallel work: she can ask her family to save boxes (gather materials) while she finishes the technical drawing.
Milestones: day 5, design approved by Sami; day 10, final presentation.
Risk 1: Sami is not available on day 8 for testing → book the visit a week ahead and have a backup video call to test the angle.
Risk 2: glued cardboard takes longer to dry than expected → glue in the morning, test the next day, and use clamps (clothespins) while drying.

A 10-day plan with milestones, one parallel task, and two risks with strategies: that is a project plan, and it matches the Gantt chart above.

Hands-on activity

Plan a real home project

Choose a small real project at home: cook a family dinner, organize a closet, build a birdfeeder from a milk carton, or make a short video. Ask an adult to approve the project, and to supervise any cooking, cutting or tool use.

Write the scope in one sentence.
List at least 8 tasks, with time estimates and dependencies.
Draw a Gantt chart (by hours for a dinner, or by days for a bigger project). Mark one milestone.
Write a budget with real prices from a flyer or website (or $0 if you use things at home).
Make a risk register with three factors and strategies.
Carry out the project, then compare: what took longer than planned, and why?

What to look for: tasks in a sensible order with dependencies, a readable chart, a budget that adds up correctly, realistic risks, and an honest reflection comparing the plan to what really happened.

Just for fun

Hofstadter's Law (a real rule of thumb people quote): "It always takes longer than you expect, even when you take into account Hofstadter's Law." That is why project managers add buffer time.

Your turn

Name five project management skills.

What is a dependency? Give an example from cooking.

In the network diagram, why is task A not on the critical path?

What is a milestone?

A budget is $40. Costs: $12.50, $9.75, $8.20. How much is left?

Give one strategy for the risk "a teammate might be absent".

In the Gantt chart, which tasks happen on day 4?

More practice: warm-up

What does a Gantt chart show?

What is scope?

What is a budget?

What is a risk in a project?

Why add buffer time?

More practice: on your own

Tasks: P (2 days) and Q (4 days) can start together; R (1 day) needs both P and Q finished; S (2 days) needs R. What is the critical path and total time?

A team's budget is $80 and they want a 15% contingency. How much can they plan to spend?

Explain why building a quick prototype early is a risk-management strategy.

For a haircut service at a salon, list three tasks in order and one dependency.

Cups cost $5.49 per 100. How many packs are needed for 260 customers and how much do they cost?

Challenge

A project has tasks A (3 days), B (2 days, after A), C (4 days, after A), D (1 day, after B and C). Draw it in words, find the critical path, the total time and the slack on B.

The booth sells only 110 cups at $1. Using the $47.52 costs, what is the profit? What percent of the expected 150 cups is that? Suggest one strategy that could have improved sales.

Choose a technology area and describe a factor beyond the team's control that could affect a project there, plus two strategies.

Check your understanding

Quiz

What does a Gantt chart show?

The critical path is...

A budget is $50 with costs of $18.40 and $22.35. How much remains?

Which is a good strategy for the risk "materials may be out of stock"?

You cannot paint a birdhouse before assembling it. This is a...

Why keep a contingency in a budget?

For parents and teachers

Big idea: This lesson covers three expectations: investigating and describing project management skills and identifying the ones to use (A1.6), using them to develop a process for making a product or delivering a service (A2.1), and identifying factors that could affect a project and strategies to improve the outcome (A2.2).

How to help at home:

Let your teen manage a real family task (a birthday dinner, a weekend clean-out) using a task list and schedule. Give them the budget and let them shop with a list.
Share how you plan things at work: deadlines, budgets, backup plans.

Common difficulties:

Underestimating time. Compare estimates with reality afterward; this skill improves only with practice.
Forgetting dependencies. Ask "What has to be done before this can start?"
Budget arithmetic. Encourage a spreadsheet or a calculator, with totals checked twice.

Safety: any cooking, cutting or tool use in the home project needs adult supervision.