Critical Reflection

It has been an enjoyable module learning the various ways of communicating effectively. I feel that such a module is essential in upgrading the competency of students in the diverse aspects of formal writing as well as oral presentation skills. This knowledge would be useful in the near future when entering the workforce where such skills are highly sought after in a professional.

This module has allowed me to work with various classmates during multiple assignments and group discussions which encourages communication. The changing of members for different group discussion simulates a realistic workplace scenario where the people one works with may vary across different tasks. This accentuates the importance of flexible communication skills where a different approach is required as per individual. Personally, I feel that my abilities to communicate with various individuals plays a huge part in ultimately completing the given task.

Apart from communication skills, another skillset that I have enhanced through this module would be my oral presentation skills. Having very severe stage fright in the past, presentations were my nemesis. However, through constant exposure to different individuals, I have been able to overcome this stage fright to produce a confident presentation. I look forward to applying the various oral presentation techniques acquired from this module in the upcoming communication modules and projects.

Ultimately, writing and oral presentation skills are essential on top of technical knowledge. Being able to express oneself and conveying a message accurately to other individuals is just as important as having the knowledge of the field to be able to succeed.

Oral Presentation Reflection

It was one of the most memorable presentation thus far as it was the first time donning a blazer for a presentation. My confidence was breaming from the overall image portrayed due to the formal attire paired with a blazer, definitely a feeling to remember.

Overall, I felt that the delivery was smooth. I have stage fright, and a very severe one. But I always manage to hide this fear under my sleeves and proceed to deliver my presentation. This time was no exception. I felt that through constant interaction and exposure to more people, my ability to speak in front of others has dramatically increased.

I was responsible for the opening for my group’s presentation, and that gave me tremendous stress. A fluent yet impactful opening was critical in setting the pace for the remaining presentation. I thought of an attention grabber which would capture the audience attention while addressing the problem that our group was tackling. It was a success! However, the attention grabber was inappropriate due to the setting of the presentation which I had overlooked, and could have been done better should more thought been put into it; a point to take note of for future presentations.

One aspect of the presentation that I disliked was the PowerPoint slides design. I felt that it could have been done better.  I am not proficient in using Microsoft PowerPoint, and spend a lot more time to develop a simple PowerPoint with simple slide designs and animations. I look to improve my proficiency through online tutorials which are readily available.

To conclude, I felt that the skills taught to me have been well applied thus producing an excellent presentation. These skills would prove useful in future presentations and I look to sharpen these skills whenever possible.

Reader's Response Final Draft

In the article, “India’s SMART City Plans Spawn Innovative Ultra Electric Bus Concept from TATA”, Tata’s Global Head of Design, Pratap Bose (As cited in Stubbs, 2016) states that India’s progression towards a SMART city requires a corresponding smart transport. This has led to the birth of the Ultra Electric Bus, a necessity for the city state’s advancement. The bus concept is developed based on an electric bus that is a “symbol of modern, resurgent India” (Stubbs, 2016). A city’s transformation is reflected in its visual contents, thus the bus design factor anchored on this point. It is vital to create the bus as an icon which portrays India as a connected city.

By appealing to the public commuters needs, Tata Motor’s Ultra Electric Bus focus on the aesthetic design and user-centric features to reflect a modern and connected India would be well received by the public. However, I feel that the integration of an electric bus into the existing public transport system should also be taken into consideration and not just centered on its appearance.

Stubbs (2016) mentions the use of 3D printed elements to replicate the effects of traditional screens, “symbolic of Indian architecture”. Such enhancements are crucial as they are designed to prompt recollections of past experiences related to India. I feel that this aspect is very suitable in creating an icon worthy of India. It also serves to remind commuters the origins of the bus company in such a fast paced world. A personal experience of riding on a ‘Tuk Tuk’, which is an iconic mode of transportation from Thailand, would bring back memories of weaving through the infamous jams at peak hour; a similar effect of what the electric bus designers are trying to achieve.

Stubbs (2016) also tells us that commuters will be able to stay connected through user-centric features as the bus is Wi-Fi enabled. In addition, USB charging ports are easily available within the bus thus allowing passengers to charge their modern day gadgets while commuting. Taking reference from a survey done in Singapore, statistics show that 72 percent out of 22,000 respondents are keen on having USB ports on board public buses (Siong, 2016). This goes to show that commuters would benefit from small amenities made available on the bus which in turn would improve the overall satisfaction of public buses.

On the other hand, I feel that a main concern of electric buses would be to incorporate them into the public transport system of a city. MacKechnie (2016) states that the main constrains of electric buses are the short distance range and long recharge time. Charging infrastructure would be required to support the new range of electric buses. Since electric buses are unable to refuel immediately as compared to conventional diesel-fueled buses, bus schedules may not be as efficient thus resulting in poor transport system reliability (MacKechnie, 2016).

In conclusion, I felt that the design factors mentioned in the interview play a critical role in creating an iconic mode of transport to reflect ‘India’s SMART city initiative’. To support the electric bus viability, factors such as supporting infrastructure and bus scheduling should be taken into consideration to create a more efficient and commuter-based public transport system.

References

Stubbs, E. (2016, May 11). India’s SMART City Plans Spawn Innovative Ultra Electric

Bus Concept from TATA. Retrieved from:

http://www.core77.com/posts/52949/Indias-SMART-City-Plans-Spawn-Innovative-Ultra-Electric-Bus-Concept-from-TATA

MacKechnie, C. (2016, August 6) Electric Buses - An Introduction: How They Work, How

Much They Cost, and Where They Operate. Retrieved from: http://publictransport.about.com/od/Transit_Vehicles/a/Electric-Buses-An-Introduction.htm

Siong, O. (2016, August 31) Buses with USB charging ports to hit the road on Thursday.

Retrieved from:

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/buses-with-usb-charging/3087788.html

Reader's Response - Electric Bus

In an interview titled “India’s SMART City Plans Spawn Innovative Ultra Electric Bus Concept from TATA” with Tata’s Head of Design, Pratap Bose states that India’s progression towards a SMART city requires an equivalent transport. This has resulted in the birth of the Ultra Electric Bus, a necessity for the city state’s advancement. The bus concept was built around a fully electric bus that is a ‘symbol of modern, resurgent India’. A city’s transformation is reflected in its visual contents, thus the design factor anchored on this point. It was key to create the bus as an icon which portrayed India as a connected city.

By appealing to the public commuters needs, Tata Motor’s Ultra Electric Bus focus on the aesthetic and user-centric design to reflect a modern and connected India would be well received by the public. However, I felt that the integration of an electric bus as public transport should also be taken into consideration and not just centered on its appearance.

Pratap mentions the use of 3D printed elements to replicate the effects of traditional screens, ‘symbolic of Indian architecture’. Such enhancements were crucial as they were designed to evoke memories of experiences within India. I felt that this aspect was very suitable in creating an icon worthy of India. It also aids reminding commuters the origins of the bus company in such a fast paced world. A personal experience such as riding on a ‘Tuk Tuk’ which is an iconic mode of transportation from Thailand would bring back memories of weaving through the infamous jams at peak hour.

In the interview, Pratap tells us that commuters will be able to stay connected as the bus is ‘wi-fi enabled’. Adding on, charging points are easily available within the bus allowing passengers to give their modern day gadgets such as smartphones or tablet that extra battery boost. Taking reference from Singapore, statistics of a survey show that 72 percent out of 22,000 responses showed keen interest of having USB ports on board public buses(Olivia, 2016). This goes to show that commuters would benefit from small amenities made available on the bus which in turn would improve the overall experience of public transport.

On the other hand, I felt that a key concern of electric buses would be to incorporate them into the public transport system of a city. Research has shown the main constrain of electric buses to be the short distance range and long recharge time(Christopher, 2016). Recharging stations would also be required to support the new range of electric buses. Since refueling is not instantly available, bus schedules may not be as efficient compared to the conventional diesel-fueled buses thus resulting in a poor transport system reliability.

In conclusion, I felt that the design factors mentioned in the interview play a critical role in creating an iconic mode of transport to reflect ‘India’s SMART city initiative’. To support the electric bus viability, factors such as supporting infrastructure and bus scheduling could be taken into consideration to create a more efficient and commuter-based public transport system.

‘Electric Buses – An Introduction’, Christopher MacKechnie, 6^th Auguest 2016

http://publictransport.about.com/od/Transit_Vehicles/a/Electric-Buses-An-Introduction.htm

‘Buses with USB Charging ports to hit the road on Thursday’, Olivia Siong. 31^st August 2016
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/buses-with-usb-charging/3087788.html

Electric Bus Summary

India’s progression towards a SMART city required an equivalent transport. This has resulted in the birth of the Ultra Electric Bus, a necessity for the city state’s advancement. The bus concept was built around a fully electric bus that is a symbol of modern, resurgent India. A city’s transformation is reflected in its visual contents, thus the design factor anchored on this point. It was key to create the bus as an icon which portrayed India as a connected city.