Hello, I am on a Vex V5 Robotics team, and I’ve been designated as a designer for the engineering notebook. I’ve just transitioned from an FTC team, where I did the engineering notebook for them as well. So I have 2 questions: How is the notebook different from an FTC notebook, and how can I effectively display information for my team?
While I never participated in FTC, I would presume that the basic principles of engineering notebooks are universal; the notebook should fully document your team’s design process; the ups and downs, why you chose the design you chose, what other options you considered, how you implemented your design, tournaments you went to and how your team performed, programs your team made and how it works, etc.
Regarding exactly how the notebooks are judged, you can reference the contemporary Guide to Judging and Engineering Notebook Rubrics found in the Guide to Judging.
Feel free to reference the various example notebooks found within/outside the forum. Here’s some good ones to start out with:
2654E - Echo (went to worlds and won design in their division last season)
5203G - Gremlin (2025 Vex V5 Excellence Award Winner)
(You can look through their notebook here)
10C (great notebooks and I’m certain they won plenty of designs/excellences I just don’t feel like looking through the many seasons they were in)
Much more that you can look up. Just make sure not to copy them and always design the notebook the way that makes sense to you and your team.
Happy notebooking!
72837A
Hey ya’ll
I’m probably gonna become a note booker next year and builder, so i need some notebooking advice.
And i was wondering if i shouldn’t look through world award winning notebooks and use formats similar to theirs, but try my own, even if it might be a worse format.
Thanks
Take inspiration and do your own so you’re not completely copying their format, but do what works.
There’s nothing wrong with including Game Analysis, Design Briefs, etc. That’s just part of all good notebooks.
Look through other award winning notebooks to find what makes them an award winning notebook. Also, please read the notebook grading rubric!