[Alex.q]

(Disclaimer: I am a guy, but this post is based on my experiences on my team).

I would guess that much of the time when your ideas are ignored or dismissed, it is not because you are a girl, but because the guys become more attached to their ideas and are very stubborn about giving in. What often happens (not only on robotics, but on other clubs as well), is that the loudest/most assertive members end up making the decisions because they are the most persistent, even though they are often not advocating the strongest design or business strategy. The shyer kids or people more willing to compromise with their ideas end up getting left behind, even when they have great ideas. When people become attached to their designs, they are no longer objective about its pros and cons, and they might not be aware that they are doing this.

I think its important for teams to be aware of this and to try to structure their brainstorming sessions so that all ideas are heard and considered objectively. There are different ways to do this and some have already been suggested.

The other ways to make yourself heard is to back up your ideas with research of past years' robots that had similar mechanisms. Don't be afraid to challenge someone else's designs, and don't give up on a better design just because people don't understand it. The trick is to be able to persuade people to choose the better design without becoming so attached that you blind yourself to its drawbacks. I also found that as people became more experienced on the team, they built up their reputation, so their opinions were more considered. This doesn't mean you won't still have to fight through more aggressive people to be heard though.