Touchstone 3: Brightwell Design Studio IT Report
Overview
In this Touchstone, you have been hired as Brightwells IT consultant. Using what you have learned in Units 13, create a proposal presentation that explains Brightwells current IT setup, identifies problems, and recommends improvements. The owners expect a professional proposal that identifies weaknesses and provides practical solutions.
What You Will Learn: You will explain how IT systems function in a small business, identify weaknesses, and propose solutions that integrate hardware, software, data, networking, and security.
Why It Matters: IT professionals who can explain problems in plain language and propose solutions are highly valued in organizations of all sizes.
What You Will Hand In: A PowerPoint presentation (.ppt or .pptx) of 10 or more slides with speaker notes, written as a proposal for Brightwells management team.
Keys to Success:
- Explain why investing in IT infrastructure is critical to company success.
- Accurately explain Brightwells current IT system (hardware, software, data, networking, security).
- Identify the main challenges (such as slow file sharing and Wi Fi security warnings).
- Recommend realistic solutions, supported with reasoning.
- Keep slides professional, concise, and clear.
- Use the Speaker Notes area of each slide to script the presentation exactly as you would speak during the live presentation to Brightwell.
- Provide references to sources where the client can learn more.
Helpful Links:
Instructions
Step 1: Review the Scenario
Brightwell Design Studio is a small creative agency with 12 employees and 20 end user devices, including laptops and desktops. The business specializes in creating and refining custom multimedia content for clients, including both audio and video. Brightwell relies heavily on laptops, creative software, and cloud tools to design marketing content.
The computers used by content creators are several years old and have the following typical specifications:
- Operating System: Windows 10 Home Edition
- CPU: Intel Core i5 (8th generation)
- Memory: 8 GB DDR4
- Storage: 500 GB HDD
- Wi Fi: 802.11ac
- Graphics: Integrated Intel UHD Graphics 620 or 630
They currently have no local server. They rely on a combination of a peer to peer network using a single wired or wireless router and a low cost cloud storage space for project and administrative files. The local network hardware consists of:
- One 802.11ac Wi Fi router with 5 Ethernet ports
- One shared broadband internet connection supplied by the local cable company
- Some devices are connected via wired Ethernet, while others rely on Wi Fi
The company does not have a dedicated IT department, and employees have been struggling with frequent issues that affect productivity. Employees have complained about:
- Slow file transfers between their computers and the shared cloud storage space
- Difficulty connecting to Wi Fi in certain areas of the building
- Long waits when running resource intensive processes such as video rendering
Recently, the company also suffered a security breach when someone outside the building was able to connect to its unsecured Wi Fi network.
The owner has asked you to analyze their current IT setup, identify the underlying problems driving these complaints, and recommend practical improvements, which may include hardware and software purchases, device reconfiguration, and settings changes.
Step 2: Create the Touchstone
Use the to create a professional proposal for Brightwells management team. Your goal is to clearly explain the companys current IT system, identify its challenges, and recommend realistic improvements.
Step 2.1: Plan Your Slides
- Review the case study and rubric before you begin.
- Create an outline of the presentation, starting with the student template provided and adding more slides as needed.
Step 2.2: Develop the Presentation
- Build slides that explain the problems you see in Brightwells current situation and recommend upgrades and settings for hardware, software, networking, and security.
- Support each recommendation with reasoning, explaining how your solution will help the business.
- Keep slide text short and clear, summarizing the main points.
- In the Speaker Notes area of each slide, write a detailed script of exactly what you plan to say during the presentation, in full sentences with correct grammar and spelling.
Step 2.3: Finalize and Review
- Check that your proposal has at least 10 slides with speaker notes on each.
- Review for grammar, clarity, and professional formatting.
- Make sure your recommendations directly address the companys needs.
When you are done, you will have created a realistic IT proposal that shows you can evaluate a business IT system and communicate recommendations clearly. These are skills that are valuable in any IT career.
Step 3: Review and Submit Your Work
Review your work carefully and check the rubric to make sure you meet all the requirements. Submit your presentation in .pptx format.
| Advanced (100%) | Proficient (85%) | Acceptable (75%) | Needs Improvement (50%) | Non-performance (0%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Business Overview & Current SystemEvaluates how well you describe Brightwells business operations and its existing IT setup. (20%) |
Provides a clear, accurate summary of Brightwells business and current IT system (hardware, software, data, network, security). Connects system details to business needs. | Describes the business and system with minor gaps or unclear connections. | Covers most system components but lacks depth or accuracy. | Provides incomplete or vague descriptions. | Does not describe the business or IT system. |
Problem AnalysisAssesses your ability to analyze the issues Brightwell is facing. (20%) |
Clearly analyzes both reported problems (file sharing, Wi-Fi security) and explains causes linked to Brightwells setup. | Analyzes both problems but with limited depth or clarity. | Identifies problems but explains them vaguely. | Mentions problems without meaningful explanation. | Does not analyze problems. |
RecommendationsMeasures how effectively you propose IT solutions. (30%) |
Provides realistic, well-supported recommendations for hardware, software, storage, networking, and security. Justifies how each addresses Brightwells needs. | Provides multiple recommendations with some justification; one area may be less realistic or weakly supported. | Provides one or two recommendations with limited detail or unclear relevance. | Recommendations are vague, impractical, or lack justification. | Provides no recommendations. |
Benefits to the BusinessFocuses on your ability to connect your recommendations to measurable business benefits. (15%) |
Clearly explains how recommendations improve Brightwells efficiency, security, and reliability. Connects benefits to daily work and business goals. | Explains benefits with some detail but lacks full clarity or depth. | Mentions benefits but in vague or general terms. | Provides minimal explanation of benefits. | Does not explain benefits. |
Presentation QualityEvaluates the clarity and professionalism of your presentation. (10%) |
Slides are professional, well-organized, visually clear, and supported with detailed speaker notes. Almost no grammar or spelling errors. | Slides are organized and mostly clear; speaker notes provide adequate support. Minor errors present. | Slides are somewhat organized but lack clarity or detail; speaker notes may be limited. Frequent errors that do not block readability. | Slides are disorganized, lack notes, or contain distracting errors. | Submission is incomplete, unreadable, or does not meet format requirements. |
ConventionsMeasures adherence to assignment requirements. (5%) |
Meets slide count (10 with notes). Almost no grammar, punctuation, or formatting errors. | Meets requirements with minor formatting or mechanics issues. | Mostly meets requirements; frequent minor errors but still readable. | Fails to meet length/format or has significant errors that affect readability. | Does not meet minimum standards. |
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