Lets go over some basics about prototyping starting with “duck tape prototypes”. Duck tape prototypes are the very first physical representations of your idea. This phase can be filled with lots of satisfaction for optimists and visionaries or disappointment for the pessimists and short sighted.

Duck tape prototypes are made from available materials found at Home Depot, the grocery store or around the house. The parts are altered using a dremel, file or epoxy putty. These newly altered parts are then assembled using epoxy, super glue and duck tape (hence the name).

These prototypes might not work. The limitations of using existing pieces, the alterations that change the structural integrity and the complications of bonding different shapes and materials will produce defects.

Are they failures? Do they have any value if they don’t work? Well I think Edison said it best when asked about his many failures at building a light bulb… “We have only found 586 ways that won’t work and won’t have to be tried again. Soon, we will find one that does.”

These prototypes are very important at the very beginning. They might not prove the concept, work well enough for testing and look nice enough to present to investors but they add value in many other aspects. You can discover if the method is right, major design issues and experiment with different materials.

It may take many or just a few duck tape prototypes to get a sense of what design will actually work. Then the deisgn, engineering and manufacturing aspects come into play….

This past weekend I went to an amazing wedding.  As with many of my excursions, I was checking out all of the products and seeing what is new.  Weddings in general are an interesting product development industry.  In one sense the ceremony and the reception are based in tradition and often includes the same elements, but every wedding wants to be unique.  There is always a cake, flowers, food but what can really change is the appearance.  The change is not just color or design, but packaging and staging using shapes and framing the products in different ways.  I’d like to highlight one of the major elements, the party favor, the souvenir or the guest gift.  In the wedding last weekend, it was a small jar maple syrup.  Most people are thinking something like this…

A very typical maple syrup bottle, and that is great.  Everyone loves maple syrup and if maple syrup is the gift then this is perfect.  But instead we got something much more…

Sure it still holds maple syrup, but I am sure my girlfriend will hold on to the container as a trinket for ever.  With just a little repackaging, some maple syrup has transformed into timeless souvenir.  Although many inventors are focused on packaging, design and appearance few really digg deeper than trying to get attention on the shelf.  This quick example shows how the packaging of a simple product can deliver more than just the contents.

Based on an Inventors Clinic I attended as part of IANE I was confronted with an issue that happens quite often, so I will try and address the issues in general terms.

Problem

So you have found a good problem that you would like to fix.  The problem exists in several different markets and each market would like a different design and technology solution.  So what market, design and technology do you pursue?

Answer

The answer is to follow the market!  Pick the best market, and the rest of the product development concerns will be answered by that market.  How do you pick the right market?  Well this is now an opportunity assessment and you could use Porters 5 forces and a number of different methods, I will talk about one that I use often.

So you have three possible markets, lets say elderly, kids and daycare (markets somewhat taken from 2Hot). Through internet research find out how many of them exist (#).  The value of the market can be established several different ways ($) like: cost of bad occurrences without the product like hospital visit costs or law suits, how much money do people spend in this segment like funds spent to remodel / update bathroom, or you could just use a 1-10 scale of the ability to pay.  Market penetration (%) is tricky to do.  A survey with a picture / demonstration of the prototype works, but doesn’t show if they would actually put money down to buy it.  For penetration you could use a proxy of another new product that entered a similar market area and say you will get the same market penetration.  Customer Need is a very important aspect.  This would be put in a weighted scale of 1-10 based on survey results, interview feedback and pre-production purchases.  Customer need is the amount that the market absolutely needs your device (also called market pain).  Finally competition, what is out there that is working now?  Does it fix the problem adequately (even if not perfectly)?  The competition scale is inverse, so if there is none, put 10, lots use 1.

Other Variables to think about

Cost of switching, target market disposable income, insurance complications etc.  The list could go on and on, but you need enough info to make an educated guess/

Bottom Line

Multiply the whole chart through and find out which one is higher.  That is your market and dive into it some more because there will be other variables to understand.  You might not pick the right market at the beginning even with this analysis, but you will have a sense of direction and understand what the next best option is.

Design & Technology

I always believed that you ask you market what design / technology will work best.  Don’t ask do you prefer Infrared or Capacitive, but instead describe the function / embodiment of the different options.  Design is easier, come up with several different styles and show pictures to people, gather responses and analyze results.

Now you know how to evaluate which market, what design and which technology.