The perfect box project was a great way to teach the sort of direction following skills, and knowledge of technique and material that are essential when doing a project that has been pre-defined. I think that all engineers should have some knowledge of how to work with different materials and production methods.

I really don't think this activity was very useful in the conventional sense-I already knew most of the ins and outs of cardboard. My mom is a graphic artist, and she taught me all about using materials, proper glues, and the right way to cut things. The reason this activity was good for me, was that it allowed me to see how much other people had not grown up in this sitution, and how they needed things to be explained differently than I liked. I think the insights I got from this project will help me a lot when I am in teams of people with different backgrounds and ability levels. And not just when I'm the top dog either-I think it will help me when I don't know things to be able to ask questions in a way that will be more easily answered.