Capstone · Week 1

Concept Proposal

State the problem you care about, your solution, and roles. Keep it concrete and readable. Aim for a one‑page proposal plus a simple project timeline.

Grading uses the capstone rubric. See Rubrics.

What to include

Clear and simple is best

Problem: one paragraph with a real example from your community.
Solution: what you will build or offer and why it helps.
Team: roles tied to strengths (modeler, designer, analyst, etc.).
Timeline: key steps you will take in Weeks 1–4.

Excel Requirements

Simple timeline using spreadsheet skills

Create a basic task table: task, owner, start date, end date, status.
Add a conditional‑formatting bar or simple Gantt (fill cells between start and end).
Use data validation (drop‑down) for status values (e.g., Not started, In progress, Done).
Auto‑count tasks by status with COUNTIF to show progress.

Quality Checks

How to keep your plan strong

Problem and solution match. The solution clearly solves the problem stated.
Roles are balanced and tied to strengths (who will do modeling, research, design).
Timeline is realistic and covers Week 1–4 steps.
Sources cited for any outside facts or data you include.

Common Pitfalls

Avoid these early mistakes

Vague problem statement without a real example.
Solution that is too broad or tries to do everything at once.
No clear owner for tasks; timeline without dates.

Submission

What to turn in

One‑page proposal (PDF or doc) with problem, solution, team, and roles.
Excel file with your simple timeline and status summary.
Links to any sources used.