7 Things You Need To Know Before You Design Your Own Invention
If you want to design your own invention, it may seem difficult to know how to start.
The first step in inventing is research. Turning your idea into a reality and getting a product on store shelves is a rewarding experience, but so many ideas never reach that point because the inventor didn’t do proper research beforehand.
It’s not enough just to have a great idea. In this guide, we’ll explain the basics of product research and help lay the proper foundation for a successful invention.
7 Things You Should Know Before Starting.
What is the problem that you are solving?
Who is going to buy the product?
What are your competitors doing?
Can you patent your product?
What do you want to do with your invention?
What is your budget and schedule?
Do you have the motivation to be an inventor?
What is the problem that you are solving?
Every invention needs to solve a problem. This may seem simple, but problem definition is a critical step in the invention process that is often overlooked in the excitement of the original idea. If an inventor can’t pinpoint the root problem that inspired the idea, then the invention itself needs direction.
No matter how unique or interesting an idea might seem, the product must solve a problem and provide value to the target audience. An inventor needs to make sure that their invention doesn’t just solve a problem specific to their own needs, but that it solves a larger problem relevant to a large audience.
This doesn’t mean that an invention needs to solve an important problem. Plenty of successful inventions weren’t life-changing and only existed to entertain or solve minor nuisances.
For example, toy companies made millions selling fidget spinners in 2017. Even though most of those ended up in a trash bin by the end of the year, the companies behind the short-lived craze laughed their way to the bank. The fidget spinner was successful and the only problem it solved was our basic human instinct to do something mindless with our hands.
Who is going to buy the product?
Some inventors would rather focus on designing and building their invention before considering the invention’s target audience. It may seem counterintuitive to an inexperienced inventor to focus on the customer before the invention itself has been designed. However, the old cliché “the customer is always right” is relevant long before the product is invented.
Product design is a part of marketing and marketing is a part of product design. Using marketing insights throughout the entire product development process helps make the product easier to sell when it’s ready for store shelves.
Different people are going to use products differently, so good product design must always consider the end-user. More than one inventor has decided to start building a product before doing the necessary target market research, only to realize that their invention was built for the wrong person. For example, a perfume dispenser for an 80-year-old woman is going to look and work differently than a cologne dispenser for a 21-year-old man. They may serve the same purpose, but they will be designed differently.
At Avail Creative, we always recommend that inventors perform in-depth geographic and demographic exploration prior to the start of their invention. We use targeted nationwide survey tools to identify problem pain points, MSRP tolerance, intended product use, and other critical design drivers. This research will be critical when communicating to licensees, distributors, and industry partners.
You’ll have the information needed to make informed design decisions, informed financial decisions, and informed marketing decisions.
What are your competitors doing?
Every sports team evaluates game film and creates a strategy before they play an opponent. It’s important for you as an inventor to do the same with your competition before designing your product.
Understanding your competition helps you with the design of your own invention. Other companies have already worked their way through the development process, so let their research benefit your product. You should always investigate any existing product that is comparable to your invention idea.
When doing research for Avail Creative clients, our invention designers will test and reverse engineer competing products. We examine their quality, functionality, and user experience.
There is a reason that a competitor designed their product the way that they did. We believe that it’s important to see if it applies to your design. You shouldn’t plagiarize their work, but you should understand it. This can save you time and money when you start inventing.
Both are incredibly important to every entrepreneur, especially in the early stages of an invention. You can avoid design pitfalls and the associated cost of materials.
Can you patent your product?
Patenting a product can seem like a massive effort and the legal implications are quite daunting, but don’t fret. It’s not as scary as it seems. You don’t have to vis
Patent research is useful to the product design process. One big benefit of this type of research, beyond protecting your idea, is that it provides insight into whether your invention is novel or not. In other words, did somebody else already have a similar idea?
Both Google Patents and the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) database have a long list of patented products that you can search through. However, there are literally millions of patents already submitted, so this effort will take a bit of time. If this seems like too much, we’ll do an informal art and patent content search for you.
If you discover that somebody has patented a similar idea (and you probably will), don’t be discouraged. It’s not time to give up.
Remember that there are over 300 million people in the United States and 7 billion people in the world, so odds are that somebody else has tried to solve the same problem that you did.
At this point, it’s time to research ways to make your invention unique. This isn’t hard. It just takes a bit of creativity and persistence, which will often result in better product design on your part.
When it’s time to submit your patent, you are going to want an expert. Avail Creative can connect you with a licensed patent agent and/or patent attorney for formal patent opinions and patent content development.
Once you are done patenting your invention, you’ll be armed with the necessary legal protection to help your business score big during the next big pitch meeting.
What do you want to do with your invention?
Once you have an idea of the feasibility of your product, you’ll need to figure out what you want to do with it. There are three common business paths available to inventors. You can manufacture and distribute the product, license the product, or sell the patent.
Manufacturing and Distributing: Building a business on the manufacturing and distribution of your product can be appealing to the aspiring entrepreneur. It certainly gives you more ownership of your invention, but it also means a lot more work. It’s a rewarding experience, but it also takes a level of business acumen that not every inventor is interested in.
Licensing: Licensing means allowing another company to manufacture and distribute your invention while you collect royalties. This means less responsibility on your part as the inventor, but it could also be costly, as your partner will collect a share of the profits.
Selling the Patent: The third option is to sell the patent to another company outright. If you are interested in only being an inventor and not in running a business, you may be able to sell your invention to another company for a single lump sum.
What is your budget and schedule?
Making an invention takes a lot of time and money. You need to have an idea of how much you are capable of investing in your invention before you start.
If you are already working a full-time job, you’ll need to commit a large portion of your free time to the success of your product. This sort of schedule can be stressful, especially when you have a family to support, so it’s important to find the right work-life balance.
As for the budget, there is a lot that goes into getting a product onto store shelves. You’ll need to invest in the design and prototyping, manufacturing/tooling costs, patent development and filing fees, marketing and branding strategy, and assembly, quality control, and distribution. Depending on the product, each one of these elements can range from a few thousand to several hundred thousand dollars. Finding the necessary funding will be important.
Do you have the motivation to be an inventor?
The final question is a question to yourself. Being an inventor is not easy. Everybody has a great idea, but not everybody has the willpower and tenacity needed to make that idea a success.
Before you begin, you’ll need to evaluate yourself. Are you ready?
There are a lot of steps in the invention product development process. It is going to take a lot of work to design your own invention. and bring your product to market. You don’t want to spend money and time only to find out that you weren’t prepared beforehand.
If you’re sure that you’ve got what it takes to turn your idea into a reality, then great! If you think you need help, you can book a free consultation with one of our invention design experts. We are here to help.
Either way, you’ll find that designing a product is a life-changing accomplishment. You’ll be one of the few to bring an idea to life.
Finally, always remember that you are not alone while you create your own invention. The support of family and friends will be important to your own success.
Happy inventing!