Pitfalls of Product Invention
A  meat probe allows a home chef to moniter cooking temperature to avoid serving undercooked or dried, tough, overcooked food.

However, when the PBS program America’s Test Kitchen reviewed different brands of thermometers on the market, many had serious design flaws. For instance, one model had a cord which was too short to stretch from inside the oven to the kitchen countertop, so the user couldn’t read the gauge in order to know when the meat had finished cooking.

Lesson: New product ideas should always be used several times, by different people, if possible, before mass-market production in order to spot and correct flaws.

Reference
www.americastestkitchen.com

Strange New Product Ideas
When Peter van Stolk decided that he wanted to develop a line of sodas that tasted like holiday meals, the idea didn’t meet with a lot of enthusiasm from friends who thought the idea was nuts. Stolk proved skeptics wrong as he has expanded his specialty soda company into other amusing and nightmarish sounding flavors, such as the vegan soda counterpart, Tofurkey.

Then there’s pantyhose: the conventional product was uncomfortable and posed a number of problems for users. Sara Blakely decided to design one without feet, which would allow women to wear any style of shoe. She also created the product so that the visible lines of undergarments that usually showed through clothing would disappear. When Blakely tried to explain her idea to a patent attorney, he who thought the concept was ridiculous and that Blakely was there to film a segment for Punked Television. Today, Blakely’s product, which she dubbed Spanx, has made her a billionaire.

Lesson: In some cases, there is a fine line between a nutty and a clever idea and outsiders fail to see the possibilities. Peter van Stolk had a track record in the beverage industry before coming up with his savory soda idea. He knew the trends and believed the timing was right to introduce his idea to the marketplace. Sara Blakely invented Spanx because she was had trouble wearing what was available in the marketplace and believed she could create a better product.

References
http://consumerist.com/2009/11/dont-forget-the-tofurkey-soda.html

http://promomagazine.com/retail/news/jones-soda-vegan-turkey-soda-1105/
http://www.jonessoda.com/files_4/about.php
http://www.whatshebuys.com/helpful-links-spanx-faq.html#unique
http://www.spanx.com/corp/index.jsp?page=sarasStory&clickId=sarasstory_aboutsara_text

Invention Workshop for Do-It-Yourselfers
TechShop states that their program is for everyone, regardless of their skill level. I’m not so sure about that. If you’ve ever watched Tim Allen’s Home Improvement, or Bill Cosby’s character, Dr. Heathcliff Huxtable, happily strap on a tool belt and create utter chaos, then you’ll know that some people should be legally barred from involvement in do-it-yourself projects.

However, some human beings learn best by using a hands-on approach to experiment and experience ideas firsthand. Their aptitudes include spatial skills; an ability to visualize projects and problems using a 3-D aptitude. Traditional classroom learning can sometimes cause difficulties for three-dimensional thinkers.

TechShop provides access to every tool, machine, and production process that one can imagine; from industrial to robotic, plastics, or woodworking. The membership organization allows its members to use their equipment to develop inexpensive prototypes for potential business ideas.

TechShop could prove an invaluable resource for the right people.

References

Learning to Use Your Aptitudes. Dean Trembly, The Johnson O’Connor Research Foundation Inc. 1995.

 http://techshop.ws/FAQs.html

http://techshop.ws/index.html

Cocktails Anyone?
Whether you drink or not, there are useful take-away lessons illustrated by a Canadian product manufactured in Manitoba. It’s Caesar’s cocktail drink packets.

Transplanted Canadians know that ordering their favorite cocktail outside of their mother country is a frustrating experience. The drink can’t be created authentically outside the Canadian border due to the lack of an ingredient called Clamato juice, a product available only in Canada.

According to fans, a Bloody Mary makes a poor substitute. For Canadians living in the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom, having the canned juice shipped in was prohibitive, so the problem inspired the creation of a Clam packet mix weighing less than 4 ounces.

Lessons:
Transportation issues can sometimes roadblock good business ideas.

The redesign of an old product can solve a number of problems, including expensive shipping costs.

Reference:
http://www.canadianfavourites.com