http://www.flashpointdevelopment.com/blog How to develop ideas and inventions into successful products Thu, 04 Feb 2010 20:32:59 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en iShovel: Early Stage Automated Robotic Snow Shovel Ever wonder what life would be like if you didn’t have to shovel your driveway?  What If you didn’t have to pay someone to shovel your driveway?  In the not so distant future, the iShovel may be coming to a store near you.  This ... http://www.flashpointdevelopment.com/blog/index.php/new-products/early-stage-prototypes/ Many people and companies assume that when a product is designed and engineered that the product development process is complete.  That is most certainly not the case for physical assembled products – and not expecting this fact can be very frustrating for the inventor and start-up. The product development process ... http://www.flashpointdevelopment.com/blog/index.php/newproductdevelopmentprocess/are-you-done-with-product-development-when-you-have-a-completed-design/ Tucker Marion Presents Case Studies in Santa Cruz, California Late in 2009, Tucker Marion along with other authors from Northeastern University presented three case studies at the 2009 North American Case Research Association annual meeting. http://nacra.net/meeting2009/ The three case studies are designed to drive research and curriculum development in the area of ... http://www.flashpointdevelopment.com/blog/index.php/events/different-industries-chasing-same-goals-similarities-appear/ Logos can make your brand stand out, but how do they get that way? How do inventpreneurs go from ideas, descriptions and emotions to a final product? The featured  development of our logo will show you. The process theory revolves around iterative designs based on refinement and feedback.  The ... http://www.flashpointdevelopment.com/blog/index.php/newproductdevelopmentprocess/logo-creation-and-the-development-process/ Inventors often say, "I thought of that" while product developers say "I worked on that, but put it down". [caption id="attachment_350" align="alignright" width="190" caption="eDGe"][/caption] During 2007-2008 we worked on a dual screen media device aimed at being the e-reader for kids in school, we called it gBook (left).  To the right is ... http://www.flashpointdevelopment.com/blog/index.php/misc-npd/e-text-books-edge-and-gbook/ A bottle of soda and a toothbrush.  It is hard to imagine that these products can be made to stand out and even be desired above necessity...  I went shopping recently and I was amazed by the pull of two products.  The first a coke bottle, but not any coke ... http://www.flashpointdevelopment.com/blog/index.php/misc-npd/redesigning-products-for-the-stores/ Innovation made easy with modern advances in cost efficiencies, lower tool costs and shared spaces. The new tinkerers use Hackerspaces, a shared tool supply, space and a community. Tool prices including 3D printers, CNC machines and many others have plummeted from hundreds of thousands of dollars to a few thousand. An ... http://www.flashpointdevelopment.com/blog/index.php/misc-npd/product-development-growth-in-comeback/ This past weekend I attended the Hampstead Mothers Club Craft Fair to sell my pens and my girl friend's mothers purses and gooey apples.  I'd rather not say that we weren't prepared, but we didn't have a sign, business cards or any of the other marketing materials the other vendors ... http://www.flashpointdevelopment.com/blog/index.php/inventor-tips/craft-fair-marketing-lessons/ [caption id="attachment_323" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Left to Right: Frank Salcie, Dean Paul Zavracky, Tucker Marion and Jessica Chin"][/caption] A world of text messaging, text alerts and high tech employees on Blackberries and iPhones running around Boston, MA in pursuit of “Quest for Innovation”.  This high-tech scavenger hunt focused on Boston’s history and ... http://www.flashpointdevelopment.com/blog/index.php/events/innovation-around-boston/ At Flashpoint Development we have been using Twitter to share opportunities, technology findings and other items of interest. A few highlights include: Nice list of disruptive technologies: http://bit.ly/yay95 In Boston 10/9? Sign up for the Quest for Innovation: www.questforinnovation.com. Cell phone scavenger hunt and great networking activity. Check out Global Entrepreneurship Week: http://www.unleashingideas.... Lots ... http://www.flashpointdevelopment.com/blog/index.php/events/product-development-on-twitter/