Article I: Invention Design: Concepts and Competition

Article in a sentence: Identify your invention purpose, find competition and existing products and refine your invention solution for proper invention design.

by Salem Honey, Design My Idea VP Marketing at Design My Idea

Inventing, many would say, is a game of “luck” finding that one simple idea and running with it. Some inventions are proprietary knowledge, such as intellectual property allowing you to build a software empire, or holding the patent rights on a new type of industrial machine, but many successful inventions are created primarily by improving existing products. With such a large global marketplace, many researched and produced consumer goods are already available to satisfy the basic function of the product. However, this does not mean that it cannot be improved and create even more benefits to consumers beyond its basic function.

Where do you start? Many resources are available to the first time inventor (including Idea Tango), giving detailed step-by-step instructions, but we want to instead focus on your invention’s actual product design. This is done by research: finding existing products and competitors, laying out and researching the feasibility of your product and defining your design criteria.

Existing Products – It is highly important to examine products already in existence, as well as see who your competitors are and what they provide. Frequently you will be surprised that your invention has already been “thought up,” even pateneted, whether or not it has had any market success. We have also been shocked when from time to time we receive multiple design requests for the same product all within the space of a month and from different inventors. Previous and existing product research is very important, and our resources page has some starter links to get you going.

Product Benefits – From here, you need to narrow down your product design to evaluate its benefits and feasibility. Take our own example of Corg, our cord management device.

Corg – The idea? Cordage! Massive amounts of tangled cords piled behind desks and around corners. This is a problem within homes, offices and businesses. We wanted to find a solution to this, and our first step was to find out what existing products were available. We found them generally unsatisfactory in several aspects.

Research - We found clips that snap together, zip ties which cannot be easily accessed, a few organizers which twist cords around a center piece (which is damaging to electrical signals in the long term) and the terrible “tube” designs which necessitate the user to feed every individual cable through the device, making the cords hard to reaccess. None of these existing products would suit the purpose we had in mind to effectively and simply manage cords.

Design Criteria – We have envisioned redesigning a cord management device, we know many of our current competitor’s products: their benfits, and prices, and now we can define what we want our own invention idea to include.

Corg’s Design Criteria

• Contain cords tangle free.
• Accommodate a variety of sizes and shapes
• Non-conductive
• Low Manufacturing Cost
• Ability to contain excess cordage
• Easy access to a single cord
• Adhere to a variety of surfaces (wood, metal, glass, etc.)
• Unobtrusive

We wanted all of these criteria points to be included in Corg’s final product design. This would help set our invention apart from the competition.

Next – Look soon for a new article detailing how to weigh the feasibility of your design criteria, compare this to your competition and push your product design to the next level.

Invention Product Design Series!

Article Series: Proper Invention Product Design: use our own professional expertise in your invention design

Hi fellow inventors, we are being featured on Idea Tango, a great web 2.0 community for inventors, specifically for our Product Design service expertise. We are going to be doing at least an eight article series specifically for Invention Product Design.

Inventing is like a small business: tough, long and requires an immense amount of time and research. At least typically. When your just starting out, these next blog articles will help you:

• Narrow down your best concepts
• Design proper “Design Criteria” for your product in relation to your competitors
• Finish your product design
• Model your invention in 3D
• Understand Engineering and CAD
• Prototyping: Virtual: Uses, features, and when you need a physical prototype
• Prototyping: Physical: Different types, what you need, etc.
• Manufacturing contact tips and more

I am excited for this series, as so many of our clients start out very “green” with little knowledge of just how much is required for inventing, but, it is not daunting, it just requires time and effort. A little bit of knowhow, will also help you go a long way.

Good Luck!

-Salem Honey,
VP Marketing
Design My Idea.

Industrial Design and your Invention

Article in a sentence: Industrial Designers offer the ability to improve your inventions usability, aesthetics and ergonomics, increasing your inventions perceived value and potential.

by Brian Gates, President / Lead Designer, Design My Idea, LLC. December 2007

We have all seen excellent examples of industrial design mastery such as the iPod or Wii where the products design, function and form all play together beautifully.

Yet how does an inventor achieve the same level of dynamics in their own invention?

The solution is to work with an industrial designer to fully develop your idea.

To get a better understanding of what industrial design is, let’s look at the three main traits of a well-designed product.

Form / Ergonomics

Industrial designers are trained to recognize how different shapes and sizes play with a user. In order to illustrate this point and others let’s look at the following examples of a TV remote control design.

The remotes pictured on the right show two completely different designs. The first design (Example A) is very blocky and uninteresting. The edges of the product are sharp and would feel very uncomfortable in the user’s hand.

Example B has flowing organic curves that mimic the user’s hand. These traits improve the ergonomics of the device and the comfort experienced by the user while using the product. Based purely on the form of the invention the second image may have broader appeal and will stand out compared to the first image. This difference increases the perceived value of the product and thus creates a greater desire for the consumer to purchase this product over the latter.

Function / Usability

Usability is a relatively new term but the concept has been around forever and is the reason why a lot of inventors are here and are successful. The majority of inventions are improvements on current products based on the usability of the device. For this reason a lot of industrial designers focus on how the person experiences the product. Industrial designers have the schooling and ability to get inside the consumers world and project how the product may be used. By doing this they are able to adjust, foresee or even develop completely new solutions to an invention, improving the products ease of use.

To continue our remote design example let’s look at the button layout. Example A has all the buttons arrange in rows with no real reason for the arrangement of the buttons. Example B on the other hand users color coding and key groupings to allow the user to quickly find the necessary keys. Additionally, the shape of the remote allows for a “natural” position for the users hand that places them on the more commonly used keys. Furthermore, the keys are arranged in a hierarchy of most used functions to least used at the bottom of the remote to further aid in the user experience.

Material / Aesthetics

Material selection in your invention can make a world of difference in not only the cost but the overall success of the product. Industrial Designers have a broad understanding of the types of materials available to inventors and how those materials work with each other. They are able to correctly specify the materials and colors so the product is attractive and user friendly while being cost effective.

Example A has a black body made completely out of plastic with a black silicon key pad. There is little contrast between the body and the keys making the remote boring and unintuitive. Example B has a plastic body with a rubberized coating along the bottom for added grip. The top has an attractively painted plastic body with a silicon keypad. Special keys contain an epoxy coating which further highlights the keys and improves the appearance of the remote.

Summary

As more and more inventors race to get their ideas to market it is extremely important that the expertise offered by a competent Industrial designer not be overlooked. The designer’s ability to understand the end user, materials, ergonomics and appearance of the product can greatly improve the potential success of the invention.

Design My Idea provides you with the ability to work hand in hand with an industrial designer to take your invention to the next level at inventor friendly prices.

Five tips for creating, developing and selling your invention

Article in a sentence: Informal focus groups, NDA’s, DIY prototypes, a professional appearance and trade shows can help your inventions cause.

by Brian Gates August 2007

When it comes to developing a million dollar invention, unfortunately there are no sure- fire paths to success. However, there are several things with which you can do to increase your odds and ensure your invention has enough potential to succeed. Below are five general tips that you should consider when developing your invention:

Tip One – Research, Research, Research
Make sure you spend a great deal of time not only investigating if your invention already exists but if there is also market potential. One of the simplest ways to do this is to conduct a focus group with your friends and family. Have them all over for a dinner or party and then informally ask them if your idea would be something they would buy. Their responses not only tell you if there is market potential but also may provide you with some clues on how to refine your concept.

Tip Two – Protection
We always suggest talking to a patent attorney about your invention. Many patent attorneys are willing to talk with you free of charge to recommend if you should pursue a patent. When sharing your idea with companies, always try to get them to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement. A NDA is a contract that claims the parties involved, that are reviewing your idea, will not disclose, compete or share you idea. The following NDA was provided by Gene Scott of Patent Law & Venture Group for inventors to use when shopping around: Non-Disclosure Agreement

Tip Three – Prototypes
Developing a prototype doesn’t have to cost you thousands of dollars. For first-time inventors, the best way to see if your invention will work the way you want it to would be to make it yourself. Your initial prototype doesn’t need to be made of high quality materials or look like a well polished product. The concept is to see if what you envisioned has potential and prove it will work. If everything looks good then consider investing in either a digital or physical prototype.

Tip Four – Presentation
Image is everything and when it comes time to present your idea, it can make all the difference. A well-designed graphic or polished design can make the sale and acceptance of your idea that much easier. This is where your research and the help of a professional designer can put you above the rest. High quality and informative graphics provide credibility while educating and exciting your audience. The faster they understand and the more they are wowed, the better chances for your invention.

Tip Five – Marketing
One of the best ways to get your invention moving is to attend a tradeshow. There are tradeshows for just about everything and attending one can easily put you in front of a variety of companies, buyers and distributors. These websites can help you locate a tradeshow that is right for you: Trade Show Network or Business Trade Shows

While we could go on and on about the do’s and the don’ts for inventors, keep in mind that you are the master of your destiny and you can do well. Provide yourself with the information, tools and motivation to make your invention a success. Stay persistent, get creative and don’t take no for an answer.

Design My Idea

Inventors Time to Sketchup

Article in a sentence: Download Sketch Up so you can begin experiencing your invention in 3D for FREE!

by Brian Gates July 2007

If you have ever sketched on a napkin or played around with drawing in MS paint to express your invention, boy do we have a solution for you! While these methods are great for getting your ideas out of your head and into the heads of everyone else, they lack the ability to change the viewing angle without you having to redraw everything. Well that has all changed thanks to the 3D modeling program called Sketch Up.

Sketch Up has been around for a few years and is by far one of the easiest 3D modeling programs around. Users start by drawing a simple 2D shape that can be pulled or pushed into a 3D form. From there users can add different surfaces or features to arrive at a final design. The interface is extremely user friendly with the modeling experience being very straight forward. Even if you are new to the 3D modeling world Sketch Up provides you with the perfect balance of ease of use and quality of model.

This all sounds well and good but how much does this application cost?
Ready for this…NOTHING, ZIP, Zero. It’s 100% FREE!

In 2006 Google bought the company that produced Sketch Up and began offering the program for free to everyone in hopes that users will eventually model the world. If you are familiar with Google Earth you will remember seeing some 3D models of buildings as you explored large cities. Those 3D models of buildings were all modeled in Sketch Up and the two programs, Sketch Up and Google Earth, now work seamlessly together.

While Sketch Up was targeted to help the architectural community in its ability to quickly create 3D shapes, the simple modeling method is perfect for creating you invention. If you haven’t tried the application, I highly recommend downloading it to give it a try. Sketch Up will have a huge impact on the inventor community as it will allow us to begin moving from the 2D realm of design, to the 3D world, just like the big companies.

Design My Idea & Sketch Up

Why are we advertising a program that impacts our services? Well to be honest, it makes our services that much better. A Sketch Up model is great for getting the proportions and style of your invention, but the application lacks the precision of a 3D CAD package.

When an inventor has created a Sketch Up model of their invention, we are able to add the precision and exactness required for production. The Sketch Up model saves us time, the inventor money and ensures that the product reflects exactly what the inventor envisioned on the first try. (A Sketch Up model is not required for any services by Design My Idea)

Additionally if the inventor has requested us to model the invention from scratch, we are able to provide them with a completed model to view and manipulate in Sketch Up. Not only does the inventor get photo realistic renderings of their invention provided by Design My Idea, but they now have the ability to spin the model around, remove parts and even print out their own views.

Pretty cool stuff, in my opinion… Download Sketch Up Here >>

To download a PDF tutorial covering a Travel Mug modeling example for SketchUP Click Here
To view a VirtuType of the SketchUp model follow this link: Travel Mug VirtuType

Design My Idea