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GARETH HOUGHTON
IMPROVING SAFETY WITH EXPERIENCED HIKERS
CONTENTS
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Contents
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Design Context
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Industry Context Visibility Companionship Communication Insights
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Final Design Outcome
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BEACON What it does? How it woks? Benefits
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Project Process
31 33 35 38 39
And so it starts........ Final iterations Technical drawings Patterns Stitching up
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Toiles
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Toile 1 Toile 2 Toile 3 Toile 4 Materials Final jacket Brand identity
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Components
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Sleeve RELAY earpiece
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Photoshoot Magazine
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Video
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Validation & Reflection
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Dr Mick Hill (North of Tyne Mountain Rescue Team) Kyle Loughlin (Native) Keith Cheung (Montane) Dan Smith (Altura)
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Reflection
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Project Management
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GUIDANCE
AIM
FEEDBACK
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REFLECTION
SUCCESS/FAILURE
INSIGHTS
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DECISION
DESIGN CONTEXT A brief summary of the design context
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INDUSTRY CONTEXT INCREASE IN ACCIDENTS WHILE WALKING There has been a steady rise in hill walking accidents since 2011 - 2015 with many of the victims being aged between 21 and 50 years old. Suggesting that it is experienced walkers that have the most accidents. A number of the people injured are also lost or have not returned on time.
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800 790 780 770 760 750 740 730 720 710 700
2011
2012
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2015
Number of incidents in England & Wales*
2/3
Of accidents happen among 21-50 year olds*
With experience comes complacency and when someone becomes complacent, accidents happen. Complacency can make experienced people do things they would never usually do and think they need less equipment.
*Statistics taken from mountain rescue website.
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VISIBILITY Being seen if the wost should happen could be life saving. Most outdoor equipment is brightly coloured in order to attract attention, however if the weather is poor, bright coloured clothes will not help much.
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COMPANIONSHIP It is advised that when you do any outdoor activity, you should go with another person and notify people of where you are going. However a lot of people do not follow these guidelines which results in accidents going unnoticed or getting lost.
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COMMUNICATION A lot of people in recent years rely too much on mobile devices and apps for location and tracking purposes. What most may not realise or neglect that in the countryside, they could lose network or the device could lose battery. If something happens this leaves them stranded and vulnerable.
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INSIGHTS The weather in UK is poor the majority of the time. A way to be seen even in bad weather would increase the chances of being rescued earlier. Lighting could be a way to solve that issue. Knowing that you have a back up in case the worst happens would give someone piece of mind and a sense of security when venturing out alone. A way to contact emergency services automatically would change the way search and rescue is conducted. Implementing these insights into a product would not only help save lives but also help make search and rescue easier.
DR MICK HILL
“100% of the people we rescue have developed hypothermia as a secondary factor�
North of Tyne Mountain Rescue Team
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FINAL DESIGN OUTCOME
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BEACON, with the help of RELAY, is a way to autonomously contact search and rescue when the fi rst signs of hypothermia appear. They use the body’s core temperature and heart rate to watch over you. Symptoms of hypothermia include irrational thinking, and if someone is not thinking clearly they may not do the right thing. For an extra level of security strobe lights are integrated to increase the chances of being seen by others.
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WHAT IT DOES? BEACON uses the body’s own natural defenses to call for help. It engages with your core body temperature and increased heart rate to let people know you are in danger. The system would give some one piece of mind knowing that if anything were to happen they will always have a back up.
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HOW IT WORKS? Before setting out on a journey the person(s) would put on the BEACON jacket and place the RELAY headset in the ear (1). When the core body temperature drops below 35° and the heart goes up, the RELAY headset (2) would automatically send a signal (3) to the BEACON jacket which has a Personal Location Beacon (4). When the PLB receives the signal it transmits an emergency distress transmission (5) to search and rescue (6), who can then track and rescue the person(s). A strobe LED (7) in the jacket also receives the signal from RELAY and starts flashing in SOS morse code, so that a passer by (8) may see you. It will also assist search and rescue to locate the person(s)
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HOW IT WORKS?
RELAY RELAY is fi tted with a temperature sensor, which reads the tympatic (core) temperature of the body through the tympatic membrane in the ear. There is also an optical sensor, which is able to measure the heart rate by shining light into the skin and refl ects from the bone. When the light has been broken by the pulsing blood fl ow, the heart rate is measured. There is also a communication system built in which activates when the emergency system is activated, allowing search and rescue to communicate with the distressed person.
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HOW IT WORKS?
BEACON BEACON receives the signal from RELAY and the PLB in the jacket transmit that signal out to search and rescue teams. The strobe light also receives the signal and starts to continuously flashes an SOS signal in order to be seen.
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BENEFITS BEACON provides a number of benefits for the person wearing it. First and foremost, it could save the individuals life, instead of being lost and untraceable. It would decrease the amount of time search and rescue take to receive the call, track and locate the person and then get to them. A sense of security would give someone piece of mind, knowing that they will always be rescued if the worst should happen. Lastly having an autonomous back up would eliminate being stranded for long periods of time without anyone knowing where they are.
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BENEFITS
EXTRAS With the BEACON system comes some extra benefits; you can register with the same tracking software that search and rescue use, which can record your location. Monitor your body’s vital signs so you can improve performance on your next outing. Log routes so you see where you have been before and create new ones for your next adventure.
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REGISTER WITH SEARCH AND RESCUE
MONITOR BODY VITALS TO TRACK PERFORMANCE
TRACK ROUTES AND CREATE NEW ONES
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PROJECT PROCESS
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AND SO IT STARTS........ At the end of the first critical justification document I knew what I wanted to achieve, with a set user in mind and a strong initial concept. I knew most of the components I wanted to use and how I wanted them to react with each other. The final concept pieces should work together effortlessly in order to gain the correct results.
The main issue I had at this point was how to communicate the idea without making it sound negative, I needed it to appeal to people in a positive manner. When I said I knew most of the componants I needed to make it work, I was refering to the lighting system and what would be the best suited way to light up.
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Final design concept
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FINAL ITERATIONS
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The final look of the jacket should be realised before patterns are made and cut out. Patterns can be altered later to fit desired look.
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TECHNICAL DRAWING The technical drawing of the jacket demonstrates how the jacket functions, where everything is positioned and how the sleeves come off.
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PATTERNS One the final look has been decided, patterns need to be cut (a pattern is a template in which the fabric can be cut to). There is always a basic pattern from which to follow and then alter where needed.
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STITCHING UP This image shows the sewing workshop on the 3rd floor of the design building, where I conducted most of sewing work
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TOILES Toile Noun 1. An early version of a fi nished garment made up in cheap material so that the design can be tested and perfected.
The fi nal look of the jacket should be realised before patterns are made and cut out. Patterns can be altered later to fi t desired look.
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TOILE 1 The first toile was made in calico, a cheap fabric used for testing. This toile was to help get an understanding of how a jacket would be put together. I took an existing jacket apart to get the pattern for this toile. It was good to take an existing jacket apart and learn how it was put together. I discovered how complicated making a jacket was.
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TOILE 2
The second toile was made in calico, a cheap fabric used for testing. On the second toile I wanted to try adding wadding to the chest area and also design a new pattern. I found wadding to be a little harder to sew in as it shrinks when stitched. A toile like this was good as it was easier to visualise the new patterns.
wadding: noun soft, thick material used to line garments or pack fragile items, especially cotton wool formed into a fleecy layer.
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TOILE 3
The third toile was made in calico, a cheap fabric used for testing. On this toile, I want to test over-locking stitching and attempt to add zips. It was all good practice. At first it was very difficult and complicated to add the zips, however once I told how to do it, I found it quite simple and straight forward.
An overlock is a kind of stitch that sews over the edge of one or two pieces of cloth for edging, hemming, or seaming. Usually an overlock sewing machine will cut the edges of the cloth as they are fed through.
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TOILE 4 The forth toile was made in calico, a cheap fabric used for testing. This toile was solely to see what the final pattern looked like before I moved on to more expensive fabrics.
I was satisfied with the final look, however the pattern I chose was difficult to put together at times due to its intricacy. There was trouble with the fabric bunching up in the corners. But with time and patience I managed to get it right.
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TOILE 5
The fifth toile was made in black and white microfibre. Microfibre is a waterproof fabric that is also breathable. I made this toile to get a feel for making the jacket out of a better material. Using the microfibre was a little more difficult to use as it slipped under the sewing machine needle. When the jacket was finished, the weight was low and felt comfortable to wear.
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MATERIALS For the final jacket I wanted to use a material that was light, water/wind proof and breathable. For the purposes the jacket was intended for I opted for a thinker, more durable material called 500D Cordura. It has a good texture and good waterproof properties.
After completing the final jacket I did not feel like the material I chose was the best for the purpose of the jacket. A new material came to my attention, which is a ‘soft shell’. Soft shell fabric has all the properties I wanted with the added benefit of being soft and usable in all weather conditions.
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SOURCING MATERIALS Firstly I went to outdoor shops which should jackets to get a feel of which fabric was used more. I discovered that a lot of companies develop their own fabric technology or they use Gore-Tex. Gore Tex as a brand will not sell their products to an individual. It was very difficult to find the particular fabric used by top brands. With that said I had to source materials from suppliers on the Internet.
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PROFABRICS ACTIVE FABRICS I ordered most of my fabrics from Point North/ Profabrics. They specialise in fabrics for outdoor uses. When I discovered the soft shell fabric, I would have used Active Fabics to supply my materials as the have a bigger range to chose from.
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FINAL JACKET The fi nal jacket was made out of 500D Cordura, A medium weight, waterproof fabric with a fl eece lining. I went for Grey and black colours to keep it minimal and stylish. After completion of the fi nal jacket, I was not satisfi ed with the fabric chosen. If I was to make it again I would use a softshell material to make it lighter and more breathable.
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FINISHES/DETAILS The details of the jacket are important as choosing the wrong trimmings could make it less waterproof or make it less stylish to a particular user. Every part of the jacket was carefully considered, even down to the zip pulls. The zips on the jacket are all waterproof in order to keep the user dry, the ends of the sleeves have been extended in order to protect the hands but still allows to keep dexterity while doing tasks. The zip pulls are yellow to add a bit of colour to the jacket. The fronting over the front zip attaches using press studs.
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TAGS EMBROIDERY Before I put the lining in the jacket I had my logo embroidered on to 3 places on the jacket, one on the nape of the collar, on the back of the right shoulder and on the front of the left shoulder. I also had tags printed to put inside the jacket, in order to hang the coat. I had the logo embroidered on to the jacket at a company called Elite Embroidery in Newcastle. They done a great job at a very low price of ÂŁ7.77. The tags I had done at an online company called Bags of love, priced at ÂŁ19 for 20 tags.
Elite Embroidery in Newcastle
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BRAND IDENTITY After careful consideration I chose the brand name; BEACON as the word has the same principles as the jacket. The logo represents two rays of light coming together to a point (showing the location/pin pointing a location).
Beacon noun A fire or light set up in a high or prominent position as a warning, signal, or celebration. A light or other visible object serving as a signal, warning, or guide at sea, on an airfield, etc
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COMPONENTS
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SLEEVE
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BATTERIES The batteries for the strobe light should be small be strong to eliminate unused space in the sleeve. The batteries would be Varta lithium polymer micro coin cell batteries, which have a 3.7v outage and can power the strobe light for 7 hours.
PLB The Personal Location Beacon (PLB) would be small enough to fit into a special pocket in one sleeve. The PLB has an everlasting lifespan and is activated by the signal sent from RELAY. The PLB is able to send an emergency signal via satellite, it has an unlimited signal range even when there is no mobile network coverage.
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LIGHTING The first idea for the LED’s would be that the main LED sections would stay on continuously to provide light, while the strobe light would flash in SOS Morse code in order to increase visibility.
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RECONSIDERING LIGHTING
After testing the LEDS in the field I discovered that it was unnecessary to have the main LED lights as they became complicated and added extra weight.
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Upon reflection I decided to use only the strobe light. It reduced the electronics in the jacket and was easier to incorporate into the jacket. The main role of the lights were to attract attention and increase visibility. A single high powered LED could do that.
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CONDUCTIVE THREAD My initial prototype of the LED’s in the sleeve was put together using conductive thread, however I found it to be fragile, breaking easily and it also broke the circuit a lot by fraying.
SEWABLE LEDS The sewable LED’s were useful to attach to the fabric and were bright enough, however I will not be using them now as I will be using one high powered LED for the strobe.
ARDUINO The arduino is essential in the circuitry to enable the strobe LED to run in a sequence of displaying the SOS signal. The arduino was programmed by a code from the computer and the placed in the sleeve.
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After testing the conductive thread and realising it was not good enough for the role, I used wire and soldered it to the arduino and then the LED.
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RELAY EARPIECE
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EARPIECE COMPONANTS
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The optical sensor works by shining green light into the bloodstream, then a sensor records the light reflected back at it. The red blood cells absorbs the green light, so the less reflected light received by the sensor the more blood is flowing the vain which would indicate a high heart rate.
The batteries for the earpiece should be small be strong to eliminate unused space in the sleeve. The batteries would be Varta lithium polymer micro coin cell batteries, which have a 3.7v outage and can power the strobe light for 7 hours.
The PT1000 resistance temperature detector measures the tympatic temperature (core body temperature) from the tympatic membrane in the inner ear.
There is also a communication system built in which activates when the emergency system is started. This allows search and rescue to communicate with the person who needs rescued.
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EARPIECE MODELS The RELAY earpiece started as a foam model to get an idea of form. The next stage was to 3D print the form and then cover it with fabric after the components were added.
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EVOLUTION OF RELAY After testing RELAY out in the field I came to realise it would not work, it was too bulky and kept sliding down the head. It was difficult to place a hat over the top, so wearing helmets, hats or glasses would be uncomfortable. I then redesigned the RELAY earpiece, incorporating all the components into one, lightweight over the ear device.
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RELAY
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PHOTOSHOOT MAGAZINE
SEE BOOKLET
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VIDEO ABOUT PROCESSES
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https://youtu.be/ lXEpbeM86qE
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VALIDATION & REFLECTION
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DR MICK HILL
The presentation of your idea, to a non-design person appears meticulous. The use of existing technology makes a great deal of sense
NORTH OF TYNE MRT
KYLE LOUGHLIN
“A device which steps in to ensure you remain safe is a good idea.” “The design for ‘Relay’ looks large and intrusive- there are other in ear devices which perform the same function, but much smaller.”
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KEITH CHEUNG
“Overall I like the concept and design.”
MONTANE
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DAN SMITH
“I think the earpiece looks very stylish and unobtrusive, and the jacket has a good balance of style and technicality to it’s aesthetic. I was really glad to see the lighting on the jacket stripped back and simplifi ed, and I think it is a lot more of an inclusive design because of this.” “I wouldn’t call out the fabric technology as Softshell technology…what the industry refers to as softshell isn’t always a waterproof fabric; it is a loose term that describes a usually knitted material which has more stretch and breathability than a woven hardshell.”
ALTURA
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REFLECTION
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JACKET If I had to start again, I think I would change a number of things, when testing near the end, I discovered a number of factors that did not work. Firstly designing a whole jacket may not have been the best route to take. A wearable that offered the same technology may have been better and my target market may buy into more. However I am happy with the outcome and the jacket looks stylish and functional. I would like to have chosen a different material, for example, a more breathable fabric that is also wind and waterproof as Cordura is too heavy and stiff. I would have also changed the style slightly. I feel more colour may have been beneficial, more colour would make visibility better. For the technology in the sleeves, I feel I would have benefited from realising earlier that less lights were better as one strobe light could be seen for up to five miles. I felt at the time that it was ‘cooler’ to have LED’s integrated into the jacket, however that was not the case. If anything it looked worse and was less comfortable. It was a very good experience to learn how to sew and I believe I can take these skills further into my career. While making the circuits in the sleeve I learned that conductive thread was not a viable tool to use for the purpose and a circuit would have been better. The circuit could have been placed inside a protective box and placed in the sleeve or on the sleeve. I feel the concept is a great idea overall in order to help people be safer while outdoors. With further development i feel this project could be fit for market.
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EARPIECE For the earpiece, I feel I got too bogged down with the details of how the jacket worked and took less interest with the earpiece. I regret this now as I feel more could have been done to make the item a more viable product. Towards the end I realised that the initial design was too bulky and did not need to be that big to fit the components inside. At this stage I created a new design that was simpler and less intrusive to the user but still have the same functions. Again with extra time and further development this product could have a lot better. I did, however, like the final look of the earpiece and I feel like this technology could be implemented into this area of outdoor recreation. I would like to carry this project on if I had the opportunity. Overall I believe the project was very successful and I am satisfied with the outcome. I feel now, I need to work on my communication of the product.
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PROJECT MANAGEMENT
WEEK 7
WEEK 8
WEEK 9
VALIDATE IDEATE 3D MODELING PROTOTYPES
CJ PART 2
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WEEK 10
WEEK 11
WEEK 12
WEEK 13
WEEK 14
WEEK 15
WEEK 16
VALIDATE
FINAL PRODUCTS
FINAL PRODUCTS PHOTOGRAPHY FINISH CJ PART TWO DOCUMENT
CJ PART 2
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Throughout the whole project I believe I have improved my project management skills. I say this as I have carried out each task according to my time plan. I achieved this by keeping a daily, weekly and monthly schedule. Setting myself small deadlines each week and writing daily checklists of what I wanted to have accomplished by the end of the day. I believe this is a very important skill to have developed and would be ideal to carry on in my working career.
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FIN
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