Tips for Developing your First Mini Project

Being an Undergraduate fresher who's trying to find their way towards success might be a very huge headache to deal with. But identifying your unique project idea and developing your product isn't one of it. The main tough task is finding out how it can be improvised as per the requirements of our day to day life. To help you with such task, this article will widely cover the techniques and tips required to "Develop your own First Project".

"If you don't know where you are going. How can you expect to get there?"

An Ideal Checklist to develop your first project:

• Identify your Core Knowledge / Specific Interests ("IDEATION")
• Search about various projects which were already developed in that specific field ("RESEARCH")
• Curate your own solution ("THEORETICAL") for a certain problem in that field.
• Identify the "WANTS" & "NEEDS" for the solution.
• Develop your "FIRST PROJECT" with minimal error.
• Check the project with "REAL TIME" operations.
• Search for a suitable "MENTOR" to guide.
• Integrate your newfound knowledge onto the projects ("PATCHING")
• Showcase it on various events & gain "FEEDBACK".
• Use the feedback to "IMPROVISE" your project.

Identifying your "PROJECT" Idea

Identifying the project idea can be a tedious process, if there are no ideas / blueprint to move up with. The idea can be simple (Example : Tubelight, Signal Generator) or easy (Example : LED Lighting, Timer) that are multi purposely usable.

It is not mandatory to have everything completed at the very beginning. But before starting your projects, identify how the project can be used and implemented.

Example : Remote Controller

[Use : Can be used to control appliances from a specific distance]

[Implementation : A button is used to control another device with the help of Radio Signals]

Researching about your "IDEA"

After gathering a blueprint for your idea, the research must be started to gather various information which can be used to develop the project much more efficiently. The research can be done using Google & Other Technical Publications.

Sites to search : ResearchGate, IEEE, Springer & ElectronicDesign ( For Beginners )

Example : Remote controller devices are widely used within a limited range of 8-12 meters. This can be widely improved based on the radio signals used. Further more, The Device bandwidth can be imrpovised by using beamforming technique which widely uses Light. (After researching few projects, we can learn about a new method called as Beamforming)

By Researching over a given topic, you can get new ideas and curate your own methods / solutions for a underlying problem.

Developing an abstract "THEORETICAL" solution:

After researching and gathering intel about the topic, Try to develop your own theory about the procedure and format to develop the project. Then search the requirements to create the project with affordable cost.

Then use the theory and deliberately evolve the project by patching up with various new methods after researching.

After identifying the requirements, use various learning networks to gather intel and develop your project's core.

Identifying the "KEY" Challenges and Innovating the project

The working model doesn't require to be made perfect. It just needs the subtle working as a prototype which can be innovated after it's usage.

Once you identify you "WHY", then your "HOW" becomes very clear and simple. Furthermore, the project can be innovated by understanding the challenges and how the project can be modified to answer that circumstance.

Example : Remote Controllers to control wind turbine during thunderstorms to avoid human deaths during such hazardous catastrophes.

Finding "MENTOR" to Innovate & Guide the Project

The best method to develop a project is by identifying the right people guide you and mentor you throughout the process. This can be achieved by using social media and alumni network to gather more people to help.

These above steps could help you develop your project from scratch.

Furthermore, If you're interested in developing new projects and in need of guidance. Feel free to ping me via Linkedin.