We wanted to share the reasoning behind the updated Design Score Sheet. There were two main goals:
- Improve alignment between the categories and the expertise of individual Design Judges
- Improve alignment between the score sheet and established Design Event principles
The second point is most obvious in the area of full-vehicle synthesis, which we felt was under-represented in the previous score sheet.
Note that the new score sheet does not represent a significant shift in focus by the Design Judges. Instead, we believe it is a better representation of the existing focus. We expect the new document will be more useful to both Design Judges and students alike.
Since posting the new score sheet, some have noted overlap between scoring categories. This is intentional and, in practice, has always been the case. While the depth of knowledge on a particular topic will understandably vary, we expect teams to have, and will score higher for, a widely distributed fundamental understanding of their car’s systems.
After one year's experience and feedback, do not be surprised if another update appears for the 2026 competitions.
