AnissaHartz314
Identifying an issue
When you decide you are going to 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 come to the right place, here's an article to get you started and usually guide you through the invention process. The initial step in creating a profitable invention idea is identifying an issue in society.
Finding a Problem
First, are looking for an issue. What is a problem? I believe most everybody knows what a problem consists of, especially a problem if we are on the subject of inventing. A problem is something that hinders one from reaching a desired goal or object. There are problems all through our society, as you know. You most likely encounter around 20 problems each day and many likely openly complain about half of these. Until recently you have not noticed whenever you did this, but going through life as a human is the number one supplier permanently problems. Listen to yourself, when you complain consider whether it could be fixed having a nice invention. It's hard to be focused enough to see whenever you complain or visit a problem; however, with some practice, it starts to become more noticeable. Also, I suggest carrying around a little journal or using a phone to document these ideas when they come to you.
When looking to identify a problem addititionally there is another resource that is readily 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 think it is a bunch of annoying non-sense. Everyone thinks it's stupid and unproductive; I have read many psychologists explain people complaining as being some kind of human emotional requirement for love as well as other bull crap. Well, I have developed my own explanation for why people complain. People complain to make advancements. People locate problems and vocalize the requirement for the problem to become solved, thus there's an invention idea or advance in technology. So, pay attention to the folks who are around you, they will let you know problems they have within their lives. This can be even harder to complete then hearing yourself, because we've been conditioned to not pay focus on people complaining.
The internet is a superb source for information, use it. Individuals have a problem; they post it on the internet. This is similar to hearing people around you, it is simply people who are farther away. There are millions of blogs and forums where people have jumped on the internet and posted a problem they are having. Continue Google and check for household problems or something like that along those lines and you will surely find something. Also, as I discuss later, an excellent problem to recognize is a that causes death; therefore, it may be beneficial to search online for stuff that are creating a death toll each year. Should you begin to master with such three sources of information for identifying problems, then you will soon must many problems to remember.
Is the Problem Common?
Just so there is no confusion, you need to do want the issue you identify to become common. You won't want to be the sole person having that problem, otherwise the invention idea you come up with to solve that problem are only helpful to you. There are a couple of approaches to decide whether an issue is common:
1. Ask people you know. Talk to your friends, co-workers, family, and just anyone you know and see regularly. Ask them if they have the same problem. You don't have to let them know you are looking at coming up with an invention idea to resolve it, just ask, "Man, I personally don't like it when (blank) happens. You ever obtain that problem?" This can be a simple method to see if an issue is common without telling people about your inventing plans.
2. Again, use the internet! When the issue is common, then a thousand people have already posted about it on the internet. Perform a search on Google, if the problem turns out to be very popular.
3. Last, you can hold a survey. Go to a place that includes a lot of people whose attention you will get, for example school, and ask these to raise their hand should they have this issue. This can be a little more intimidating with a people, and it'll definitely reveal you're up to something. That being said, it is a great way to get fully submerged in your project.
Do not take this step lightly; it is crucial that your problem 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 also a really crucial thing to recognize. Solving an issue is going to do you no good if there is already something which solves it. So, you have to do a little shopping around to ensure that the problem is free that you should solve. While you could possibly guess, a great place to begin is the internet. At this point you have probably already searched for your problem on the internet, so hopefully if it is obvious it continues to be solved, you would then have already noticed. I'd perform a more detailed search to make sure you didn't miss anything the very first time.
Next, it might be a good idea to do a patent search. You can do a patent search online in the USPTO's website or with a patent attorney. I would suggest just searching online as it will be cheaper and simpler. Hunting for a problem instead of an invention is fairly difficult, so it may take some time. Also, you can test searching an obvious invention concept that pertains to this problem for better results.
Also, I've found it helps a lot to check around. A lot of times someone will say something similar to "I think I have heard about something which does that," or something like that along those lines. Remember the value of people.
Is Solving the Problem Viable?
The best question: is the problem going to be profitable to resolve? There is no definite answer to this question. There are lots of things to consider after you have went to this question.
- Will it save people money? This can be a big one. Everyone loves products that can pay for themselves. We're and in the midst of the economic decline, so individuals are always researching ways to save money. If you're shooting in order to save people money, there is something to consider; your invention has to be very inexpensive. People don't want to hear that your product covers itself in five years, they need quick results.
- Does it save people time? An average joe hates spending time on things they do not enjoy. People want to get to their free time, so saving them time can be very appealing. Over the years the years have become quite vital that you us for many reasons.
- Will it create comfort or entertainment? This is a very difficult aspect to consider, because it is very opinionated; therefore, it takes you to definitely create a judgment call. Many people get comfort or entertainment from different things, so if you choose to take this route, you need to be sure your invention will affect many individuals. If you are planning to attempt to tackle this, I would suggest doing extra research, online and in surveys.
- Does it save lives? This really is another big one, and results in very profitable invention ideas. There's always going to be a great way to market an invention that saves lives. I would definitely recommend going down this path.
- Does it help those who are hindered? This is a broad category and almost goes with saving lives. There are many things that hinder people such as allergies, diseases, physical limitations, etc.
- Would people purchase this issue to be solved? To actually answer this take some thought. You need to consider many variables. You need to type of begin to consider how much an invention to solve this problem would cost and when that amount of cash is worth solving the issue. You need to also consider the economic state of your consumers. For instance, in today's economy individuals are spending a lot less money, however, you can perform some investigation and discover articles to find out what individuals are still investing in. The scariest thing is to possess a great invention, but not be able to make money due to a insufficient research only at that step.
You now should have a good problem to solve; you are on your way to some profitable invention idea.
Research
You now should have a problem that you are thinking about solving. You've hopefully already done some investigation on your problem; however, the study just begun. This is a very easy key to skip or not fully invest in, but it is extremely important for a couple of reasons. You need to research your project thoroughly in order to be equipped to begin to solve it. Make sure you know everything regarding your problem; read books, read magazines, read the internet, and other things that could possibly educate you about your problem. I realize many people don't enjoy reading, and wish 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 that i don't think we can even fathom just how much research these inventors did, because I guarantee you they did not just sit and think for 10 years. Doing research will help you engineer an answer, it serves another purpose. Doing research helps you to completely submerge you inside your invention; it makes you think constantly about your problem and increases your urge to uniquely solve it. If you are truly interested in inventing I'd strongly counsel you to complete lots of research.
Uncovering an Invention Idea
Use Problem-solving
Everything require problem solving; however, some are easier to solve then others. An invention needs a high level of problem solving; this is why it is hard for many people to generate a unique invention. Some people are naturally good at problem solving and they can solve problems with ease, but there are many people who have developed ways to teach people how you can solve problems. There are lots of great sites and books that give full lessons in problem-solving and that i would recommend checking some out. I will outline a couple of things that I think are important to problem solving in inventing.
- Completely simplify the problem. It is easy to look at the problem and get distracted by the complexness of solving it, which can discourage you. Go ahead and take problem you have identified and discover the main cause. You need to have a simple condition in to possess the simplest solution. Simple inventions are usually very profitable.
- Alter the setting of the problem. This can be obscure, and so i will give you an example. Let's imagine your condition gets within the shower and then realizing you forgot to get then new shampoo bottle and you are wet. Change the setting from a shower for your car; remembering to obtain a new pack of gum to set up your before you leave to take a hot date. Doing this will allow you to consider the problem from multiple angles. You shouldn't be afraid to get this done several times for several different settings. Problem solving is all about solving a problem by using logic and taking advantage of strategies to increase your logic. However, logical problem solving isn't solution about solving your problem; opt for the abstract side of pinpointing ideas, which I will talk about next.
Imagination
Imagination is made almost completely around vision. Vision contains two elements, one of which is often overlooked. The first part of vision is the retina receiving light rays and sending these to the mind, this is this part of vision that everyone knows. The 2nd part, what happens after this, may be the part that relates the most to imagination. Negligence vision where the brain interprets the information from the retina differs from person to person. The way the brain perceives the data it receives from the retina relies mostly on past experiences, and there are experiments that prove this. Therefore, if imagination happens when the brain perceives the information, and the way the brain perceives details are according to past experience, then imagination is limited by experience. That might have seemed like a stretch, but think about this. When you are a kid your imagination is free of charge flowing and untamable, however when you get older and gain experience your imagination starts to dwindle.
How does this apply to inventing?
Most of the great inventions that end up generating a large profit or changing the planet result from an invention idea that is totally ludicrous towards the person with average skills. This means the key ingredients to a successful inventor really are a loose imagination and the ability to creatively solve an issue. In the current inventing world many inventors have a background in engineering. I have been in engineering classes where they've educated me in "how to invent". Edge in the game by rolling out 12 steps of how to come up with an ideal invention idea, each step instructs you just how to proceed and think. Well, I believe if inventing might be written in 12 steps to a perfect invention idea, then everybody would be coming up with outstanding inventions. We both know everyone isn't inventing the following best thing. It is because being the next Walt Disney isn't achieved by using a 12 step equation.
How to break down the barriers on imagination
As I said above, the mind perceives information based on past experiences. It will this since it must conserve energy; therefore, the more you live and also the more experiences you encounter, the more your mind will use consider your experience to conserve energy. This conservation of energy may be the enemy when you're trying to stretch your ideas and be creative. Forcing your brain to rely less on consider your experience is a very tough task or everyone could be really creative.
A great way to start thinking differently would be to do something totally new - go to new places, take part in new things, and meet new people. Flooding the brain with all of these something totally new causes it to break down categories created by consider your experience. In order to get eliminate conventional thinking, you must also recognize that conventional thinking limits you and there are different ways to perceive things while you have experienced it exactly the same way for so long. Last, the obvious method to try to break down ordinary thinking is by literally taking a look at things differently. This seems simple and broad, however it can really be hard to complete. An example of this is should you be a painter you could take pictures of the artwork, or maybe look at your art inside a mirror. Increasing your imagination is really a difficult job to complete, but when you do the results can be very rewarding.
Evaluating Your Invention Idea
If you're interested in generating income with your invention idea, then you aren't done. If you want to earn money, you will have to spend a great deal of money to patent and perhaps market your invention. You need to be certain you are thrilled together with your invention which is going to be profitable when it's put on the market. This requires more research. I know you may be sick of research by now, but it is important. There are three main methods to evaluate your invention.
1. Study past inventions. Take a look at successful past inventions and look at failed ones. Study how the economy was once the invention was launched and just how the economy compares to today's economy. History is the best prediction for your failure or success.
2. Ask people you know. Speak with people regarding your idea and ask their take on it. Speak with people who is going to be honest with you; false support can lead you to create a bad decision. Don't worry about them stealing your idea; many people are far too lazy to attempt that.
3. You will find inventor organizations made to help inventors with ideas. To tell the truth I have never used them before, I have only find out about them online. I'd advise giving them a shot though, In my opinion they're trustworthy.
