User:TanyaHolliman348
Identifying a Problem
When you decide you will think of a brilliant invention idea, you plan an invention; this really is different from through an epiphany eventually. Well, if you're thinking about inventing, then you have arrived at the best place, here's an article to get you started and generally guide you through the invention process. The initial step in creating a profitable invention idea is identifying a problem in society.
Finding a Problem
First, are looking for a problem. What is a problem? I think most everybody knows exactly what a problem consists of, especially an issue if we are on the subject of inventing. An issue is anything that hinders one from reaching a desired goal or object. There are problems all through our society, you may already know. You probably encounter around 20 problems a day and many likely openly complain about half of them. Up until now you have not noticed whenever you did this, but going through life like a human is the number one supplier permanently problems. Listen to yourself, whenever you complain consider whether it might be fixed having a nice invention. It's hard to become focused enough to see whenever you complain or see a problem; however, with some practice, it begins to be noticeable. Also, I suggest carrying around a little journal or utilizing a phone to document these ideas when they come your way.
When looking to recognize a problem addititionally there is another resource that's easily available - people who are around you. This may include your co-workers, friends, family, etc. People naturally complain, you hear this every day, and up until now you thought it was a bunch of annoying non-sense. Everyone thinks it's stupid and unproductive; I have read many psychologists explain people complaining to be some type of human emotional requirement for love as well as other bull crap. Well, I have developed my very own reason why people complain. People complain to make advancements. People locate problems and vocalize the need for the problem to be solved, thus there's an invention idea or advance in technology. So, listen to the people around you, they'll tell you problems they've within their lives. This can be even harder to do then hearing yourself, because we have been trained to not pay focus on people complaining.
The web is a great source for information, use it. People have a problem; they post it on the web. This is similar to hearing people who are around you, it's just people who are farther away. There are millions of blogs and forums where individuals have jumped on the web and posted a problem they're having. Go on Google and search for household problems or something along those lines and you'll surely find something. Also, when i talk about later, an excellent problem to identify is one that triggers death; therefore, it could be good for search online for things that are creating a death toll each year. If you start to master using these three sources of information for identifying problems, then you'll soon have too many problems to remember.
Is the Problem Common?
So there is no confusion, you need to do want the problem you identify to be common. You don't want to be the sole person having this problem, otherwise the invention idea generate to resolve this problem will only be useful to you. There's a couple of approaches to decide whether a problem is typical:
1. Ask people you know. Talk to your friends, co-workers, family, and just anyone you are aware of see on a regular basis. Question them if they have the same problem. It's not necessary to tell them you are thinking about coming up with an invention idea to solve it, just ask, "Man, I hate it when (blank) happens. You obtain that problem?" This is a simple method to see if a problem is common without telling people about your inventing plans.
2. Again, use the internet! When the issue is common, a thousand people have already posted about this on the web. Do a search on Google, and see if the problem happens to be very popular.
3. Last, you can hold market research. Go to a place that includes a lot of people whose attention you can get, such as school, and get these to raise their hand if they have this issue. This is often a a bit more intimidating to some people, and it will definitely reveal you're as much as something. That said, it is a great way to get fully submerged inside your project.
Don't take this task lightly; it is very important that the issue is common. A profitable invention idea needs to appeal to a large amount of people.
Has got the Problem Already Been Solved?
Obviously, this is a very crucial aspect to recognize. Solving a problem is going to do you no good when there is already something that solves it. So, you need to do a little shopping around to verify that your problem is free for you to solve. While you could possibly guess, an excellent place to begin is the internet. You now have probably already looked for your condition on the internet, so hopefully if it is obvious that it continues to be solved, you would then have previously noticed. I'd perform a more detailed search to make sure you didn't miss anything the very first time.
Next, it might be wise to do a patent search. You can do a patent search on the internet at the USPTO's website or with a patent attorney. I would suggest just searching online as it is going to be cheaper and simpler. Hunting for a problem rather than an invention is pretty difficult, therefore it might take some time. Also, you can try searching a clear invention concept that applies to this problem for better results.
Also, I find it will help a lot to ask around. Frequently someone will say something like "I think I have heard about something which does that," or something along those lines. Don't forget the need for people.
Is Solving the Problem Viable?
The best question: is the problem likely to be profitable to solve? There isn't any definite response to this question. There are lots of points to consider once you have made it to this.
- Does it save people money? This is a big one. People love items that can pay for themselves. We are also in the midst of the economic decline, so individuals are always looking for ways to cut costs. If you are shooting to save people money, there is one important thing to think about; your invention needs to be very inexpensive. People don't wish to hear that the product will pay for itself in 5 years, they want fast results.
- Does it save people time? The average person hates spending some time on things they don't enjoy. People want to get to their spare time, so saving them time can be quite appealing. Over the years time has become quite vital that you us for many reasons.
- Does it create comfort or entertainment? This can be a very hard aspect to consider, because it is very opinionated; therefore, it takes you to definitely make a judgment call. Some people get comfort or entertainment from different things, if you choose to take this route, you need to be sure your invention will apply to many individuals. If you are going to attempt to tackle this, I would recommend doing extra research, on the internet and in surveys.
- Does it save lives? This really is another big one, and leads to very profitable invention ideas. There's always likely to be a great way to market an invention that saves lives. I'd definitely recommend heading down this path.
- Will it help people who are hindered? This can be a broad category and almost complements saving lives. There are many things that hinder people such as allergies, diseases, physical limitations, etc.
- Would people pay for this problem to become solved? To actually answer this take some thought. You need to consider many variables. You need to kind of begin to consider how much an invention to resolve this problem would cost and if that amount of money is worth solving the issue. You need to also consider the economic state of the consumers. For example, in the current economy people are spending much less money, however, you can perform some research and discover articles to discover what individuals continue to be investing in. The worst thing would be to have a great invention, but not cover the cost of money due to a insufficient research only at that step.
You now must have a good problem to resolve; you are well on your way to a profitable invention idea.
Research
At this point you must have a problem that you're interested in solving. You've hopefully already done some investigation on your problem; however, the research just begun. This is an easy key to skip or otherwise fully commit to, but it is very important for a few reasons. You have to research your project thoroughly to become equipped to begin to solve it. Be sure you know everything regarding your problem; read books, read magazines, browse the internet, and other things that may possibly educate you regarding your problem. I recognize most people don't enjoy reading, and want to skip straight to pioneering the very best invention of the last ten years, but inventing is a tedious process if it is done properly. Most great inventions took years to fully develop, and I don't think we are able to even fathom just how much research these inventors did, because I guarantee you they did not just sit and think for ten years. Doing research will help you engineer a solution, it serves another purpose. Doing research helps you to completely submerge you inside your invention; it causes you to think constantly regarding your problem and increases your urge to uniquely solve it. If you're truly interested in inventing I would strongly counsel you to complete plenty of research.
Uncovering an Invention Idea
Use Problem-solving
Everything require problem solving; however, some are simpler to solve then others. An invention requires a high level of problem solving; for this reason it's hard for most people to generate a unique invention. Many people are naturally good at problem solving plus they can solve issues with ease, but there are lots of those who have developed methods to teach people how to solve problems. There are many great sites and books that give full lessons in problem solving and that i would recommend checking some out. I am going to outline a few things that I believe are vital that you problem solving in inventing.
- Completely simplify the problem. It is easy to consider the problem and get distracted by the complexness of solving it, which can discourage you. Take the problem you've identified and find the main cause. You need to possess a simple condition in order to have the simplest solution. Simple inventions are usually very profitable.
- Change the setting of the problem. This can be difficult to understand, so I provides you with a good example. Let's say your problem gets in the shower after which realizing you forgot to obtain then new shampoo bottle and you are wet. Change the setting from the shower to your car; remembering to obtain a new pack of gum to put in your before leaving to go on a hot date. Doing this will allow you to consider the problem from multiple angles. Don't be afraid to do this several times for several different settings. Problem solving is about solving a problem by utilizing logic and taking advantage of strategies to enhance your logic. However, logical problem solving isn't the only way to go about solving your condition; opt for the abstract side of pinpointing ideas, which I will discuss next.
Imagination
Imagination is built almost completely around vision. Vision contains two elements, one of which is often overlooked. The first part of vision may be the retina receiving light rays and sending these to the brain, this really is this part of vision that everyone is familiar with. The second part, what goes on following this, may be the part that relates the most to imagination. The part of vision where the brain interprets the data from the retina differs from individual to individual. How the brain perceives the data it receives from the retina relies totally on past experiences, there are experiments that prove this. Therefore, if imagination takes place when the brain perceives the information, and the way the brain perceives information is according to consider your experience, then imagination is restricted by experience. That may have appeared like a stretch, but consider this. When you are a kid your imagination is free flowing and untamable, however when you get older and gain experience your imagination begins to dwindle.
How does this apply to inventing?
Most of the great inventions that end up generating a sizable profit or changing the world result from an invention idea that is totally ludicrous to the person with average skills. What this means is the key ingredients to some successful inventor really are a loose imagination and also the ability to creatively solve an issue. In the current inventing world many inventors possess a background in engineering. I have been in engineering classes where they have taught me "how to invent". Edge in the game by rolling out 12 steps of methods to come up with an ideal invention idea, each step instructs you just how to proceed and think. Well, I think if inventing could be written in 12 steps to some perfect invention idea, then everybody would be picking out outstanding inventions. We both know everyone isn't inventing the following smartest thing. It is because being the next Walt Disney isn't achieved by following a 12 step equation.
How to break down the barriers on imagination
As mentioned above, the mind perceives information based on past experiences. It will this since it must conserve energy; therefore, the more you reside and the more experiences you encounter, the more your brain will use past experience to save energy. This conservation of energy is the enemy when you are trying to stretch your ideas and be creative. Forcing your mind to rely less on consider your experience is a very tough task or everyone would be really creative.
A great way to start thinking differently is to do something totally new - go to new places, take part in new things, and make new friends. Flooding the mind with all of these something totally new causes it to collapse categories created by past experience. To get eliminate conventional thinking, you have to also notice that conventional thinking limits you and there are different ways to perceive things even though you have experienced it exactly the same way for thus long. Last, the most obvious method to try to break up ordinary thinking is as simple as literally looking at things differently. This seems easy and broad, however it can definitely be near on impossible to accomplish. An example of this is if you were an artist you might take pictures of your artwork, or maybe look at your art in a mirror. Increasing your imagination is a difficult job to complete, however when you perform the results can be quite rewarding.
Evaluating Your Invention Idea
If you are thinking about generating income together with your invention idea, then you aren't done. If you wish to earn money, you will need to spend a great deal of money to patent and perhaps market your invention. You have to be certain you're thrilled together with your invention and that it is going to be profitable when it is place on the marketplace. This requires more research. I know you may be tired of research right now, but it's important. There are three main methods to evaluate your invention.
1. Study past inventions. Look at successful past inventions and look at failed ones. Study how the economy was when the invention was launched and just how the economy comes even close to today's economy. History is the best prediction for your success or failure.
2. Ask people you're friends with. Speak with people about your idea and ask their undertake it. Speak with people that will be honest along with you; false support can lead you to create a bad decision. Don't be concerned about the subject stealing your idea; most people are way too lazy to attempt that.
3. There are inventor organizations designed to help inventors with ideas. To tell the truth I have never used them before, I have only find out about them online. I would advise giving them a shot though, I believe they are trustworthy.
