WorthamBrinkley944
De BISAWiki
Identifying a Problem
When you choose you will come up with a brilliant invention idea, you plan an invention; this is not the same as having an epiphany one day. Well, if you're thinking about inventing, then you've come to the right place, here's articles to help you get started and usually show you through the invention process. The first step in coming up with a profitable invention idea is identifying a problem in society.
Getting a Problem
First, you have to find a problem. Exactly what is a problem? I believe most everyone knows exactly what a problem consists of, especially a problem if we are on the subject of inventing. A problem is anything that hinders one from reaching a desired goal or object. There are problems all throughout society, you may already know. You probably encounter around 20 problems each day and most likely openly complain about 50 % of these. Up until now you haven't noticed when you did this, but dealing with life as a human is the number one supplier for good problems. Listen to yourself, whenever you complain think about if it might be fixed with a nice invention. It's hard to be focused enough to see whenever you complain or visit a problem; however, with some practice, it begins to be noticeable. Also, I suggest carrying just a little journal or utilizing a phone to document these ideas once they come your way.
When looking to recognize an issue there is also another resource that is readily available - people around you. This might incorporate your co-workers, friends, family, etc. People naturally complain, you hear this every day, or more until now you think it is a lot of annoying non-sense. Everyone thinks it's stupid and unproductive; I have read many psychologists explain people complaining as being some type of human emotional need for love or some other bull crap. Well, I have developed my own reason why people complain. People complain in order 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, pay attention to the folks around you, they will tell you problems they have within their lives. This is often even harder to complete then hearing yourself, because we have been conditioned to never pay attention to people complaining.
The web is a superb source for information, use it. People have a problem; they post it on the internet. This is much like listening to people around you, it is simply people that are farther away. There are thousands of blogs and forums where people have jumped on the web and posted a problem they are having. Continue Google and check for household problems or something along those lines and you'll surely find something. Also, when i discuss later, an excellent problem to identify is one that causes death; therefore, it may be beneficial to search on the internet for stuff that are creating a death toll each year. If you start to master with such three resources for identifying problems, then you will soon have too many problems to remember.
May be the Problem Common?
So there isn't any confusion, you do want the issue you identify to be common. You won't want to be the only person having that problem, otherwise the invention idea generate to solve that problem will only be helpful to you. There are a handful of approaches to decide whether an issue is typical:
1. Ask people you're friends with. Speak to your friends, co-workers, family, and just anyone you know and see regularly. Question them should they have the same problem. You don't have to let them know you are thinking about coming up with an invention idea to resolve it, just ask, "Man, I hate it when (blank) happens. You obtain that problem?" This can be a simple method to see if a problem is typical without telling people about your inventing plans.
2. Again, use the internet! When the problem is common, then a thousand people have already posted about it on the internet. Perform a search on Google, and see if the problem happens to be extremely popular.
3. Last, you can hold a survey. Go somewhere that consists of a large amount of people whose attention you will get, such as school, and ask these to raise their hand should they have this problem. This can be a little more intimidating to some people, and it'll definitely reveal you're up to something. That being said, it is a great way to get fully submerged inside your project.
Do not take this step lightly; it is crucial that your problem is common. A profitable invention idea has to appeal to a large amount of people.
Has the Problem Already Been Solved?
Obviously, this is also a really crucial thing to recognize. Solving a problem can do you no good when there is already something that solves it. So, you have to do a little shopping around to ensure that your problem is free that you should solve. While you could possibly guess, a great place to begin is the internet. At this point you likely have already looked for your problem on the web, so hopefully if it is obvious it has been solved, you would then have already noticed. I'd perform a more detailed search to ensure that you didn't miss anything the very first time.
Next, it would be a good idea to do a patent search. You can do a patent search on the internet in the USPTO's website or having a patent attorney. I would recommend just searching online because it will be cheaper and simpler. Searching for a problem rather than an invention is fairly difficult, so it might take some time. Also, you can test searching a clear invention concept that applies to that problem for better results.
Also, I've found it will help a lot to ask around. Frequently someone will say something similar to "I think I've learned about something that does that," or something along those lines. Remember the value of people.
Is Solving the issue Viable?
The best question: is the problem likely to be profitable to resolve? There isn't any definite response to this. There are lots of things to consider after you have made it to this question.
- Will it save people money? This can be a big one. Everyone loves products that have enough money themselves. We're and in the midst of the economic decline, so individuals are always researching ways to cut costs. If you're shooting in order to save people money, there is something to think about; your invention has to be very cost efficient. People don't wish to hear that your product covers itself in 5 years, they want quick results.
- Does it save people time? An average joe hates spending some time on things they do not enjoy. People want to get back to their spare time, so saving them time can be very appealing. Through the years the years have become quite vital that you us for a lot of reasons.
- Will it create comfort or entertainment? This can be 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 various things, so if you choose to take this route, you have to be sure your invention will apply to lots of people. If you are planning to attempt to tackle this, I would suggest doing extra research, on the internet and in surveys.
- Will it save lives? This really is another big one, and leads to very profitable invention ideas. There's always going to be a great way to market an invention that saves lives. I'd definitely recommend going down this path.
- Does it help people who are hindered? This can be a broad category and almost goes with saving lives. There are lots of stuff that hinder people for example allergies, diseases, physical limitations, etc.
- Would people pay for this issue to become solved? To really answer this take some thought. You have to consider many variables. You have to type of start to think about just how much an invention to resolve this issue would cost and if that amount of cash may be worth solving the problem. You need to also think about the economic state of your consumers. For instance, in the current economy individuals are spending a lot less money, but you can perform some research and discover articles to find out what individuals are still spending money on. The worst thing is to have a great invention, but not be able to make money as a result of insufficient research only at that step.
Now you must have a favorable problem to solve; you are well on the right path to some profitable invention idea.
Research
At this point you should have an issue that you're thinking about solving. You have hopefully already done some research in your problem; however, the study has just begun. This is an easy step to skip or otherwise 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 resolve it. Make sure you know everything regarding your problem; read books, read magazines, read the internet, and anything else that may possibly educate you regarding your problem. I realize many people don't enjoy reading, and want to skip right to pioneering the very best invention of the last ten years, but inventing is really a tedious process if it's done correctly. Most great inventions took years to fully develop, and I don't believe we can even fathom how much research these inventors did, since i guarantee you they did not just sit and think for 10 years. Doing research will help you to engineer an answer, but it also serves another purpose. Doing research helps to completely submerge you in your invention; it makes you think constantly regarding your problem and increases your urge to uniquely solve it. If you're truly interested in inventing I'd strongly advise you to do lots of research.
Uncovering an Invention Idea
Use Problem Solving
All problems require problem solving; however, some are simpler to solve then others. An invention requires a high level of problem-solving; this is why it is hard for many people to generate a unique invention. Some people are naturally proficient at problem solving plus they can solve issues with ease, but there are lots of people who have developed ways to teach people how to solve problems. There are many great sites and books that give full lessons in problem-solving and I would recommend checking some out. I will outline a couple of things that I think are vital that you problem-solving in inventing.
- Completely simplify the issue. It is easy to consider the problem and get caught up in the complexity of solving it, and this can discourage you. Go ahead and take problem you've identified and discover the main cause. You want to have a simple condition in order to have the simplest solution. Simple inventions are usually very profitable.
- Alter the setting of the problem. This can be difficult to understand, and so i provides you with an example. Let's imagine your condition is getting within the shower and then realizing you forgot to obtain then new shampoo bottle and you are all wet. Alter the setting from a shower for your car; remembering to obtain a new pack of gum to put in your before leaving to take a hot date. Doing this will permit you to look at the problem from multiple angles. Don't be afraid to get this done several times for many different settings. Problem-solving is about solving a problem by utilizing logic and using strategies to enhance your logic. However, logical problem-solving isn't the solution about solving your condition; opt for the abstract side of pinpointing ideas, which I will talk about next.
Imagination
Imagination is built almost completely around vision. Vision contains two elements, such as often overlooked. The first part of vision is the retina receiving light rays and sending these to the brain, this really is this part of vision that everybody is familiar with. The 2nd part, what happens following this, is the part that relates the most to imagination. The part of vision where the brain interprets the information in the retina varies from person to person. The way the brain perceives the data it receives in the retina is based mostly on past experiences, and there are experiments that prove this. Therefore, if imagination happens when the brain perceives the data, and the way the brain perceives details are based on past experience, then imagination is limited by experience. That might have seemed like a stretch, but think about this. As a kid your imagination is free flowing and untamable, but when you get older and gain experience your imagination begins to dwindle.
So how exactly does this affect inventing?
Most of the great inventions that wind up generating a sizable profit or changing the world derive from an invention idea that is totally ludicrous to the average person. This means the important thing ingredients to a successful inventor are a loose imagination and also the ability to creatively solve an issue. In today's inventing world many inventors possess a background in engineering. I have been in engineering classes where they have educated me in "how to invent". Edge in the game by rolling out 12 steps of methods to come up with a perfect invention idea, each step instructs you exactly how to proceed and think. Well, I believe if inventing might be written in 12 steps to some perfect invention idea, then everybody could be picking out outstanding inventions. You and I both know everyone isn't inventing the next smartest thing. This is because to be the next Disney world isn't achieved by following a 12 step equation.
How you can break up the barriers on imagination
As I said above, the mind perceives information based on past experiences. It does this since it must conserve energy; therefore, the longer you reside and the more experiences you encounter, the more your mind uses past experience to conserve energy. This conservation of one's is the enemy when you're attempting to stretch your thoughts and become creative. Forcing your brain to rely less on consider your experience is an extremely tough task or everyone would be really creative.
A great way to start thinking differently is to do new things - visit new places, take part in new things, and make new friends. Flooding the brain with all these something totally new causes it to collapse categories developed by consider your experience. To get rid of conventional thinking, you must also notice that conventional thinking limits you and also there are new ways to perceive things even though you have seen it exactly the same way for thus long. Last, the obvious way to try to break up ordinary thinking is by literally looking at things differently. This seems easy and broad, but it can really be near on impossible to accomplish. A good example of this is if you were a painter you could take pictures of your artwork, or maybe review your art inside a mirror. Upping your imagination is a hard task to complete, but when you perform the results can be very rewarding.
Evaluating Your Invention Idea
If you are thinking about generating income with your invention idea, then you aren't done. If you want to make money, you are going to have to spend a great deal of money to patent and possibly advertise your invention. You need to be certain you're completely happy with your invention which is going to be profitable when it's put on the marketplace. This involves more research. I understand you are probably sick of research right now, but it's important. There are three main ways to evaluate your invention.
1. Study past inventions. Take a look at successful past inventions and check out failed ones. Study the way the economy was when the invention was released and how the economy compares to today's economy. History is the greatest prediction for your success or failure.
2. Ask people you're friends with. Speak with people about your idea and get their take on it. Speak with people that will be honest along with you; false support can lead you to make a bad decision. Don't worry about the subject stealing your idea; most people are far too lazy to attempt that.
3. You will find inventor organizations designed to help out inventors with ideas. To tell the truth I have not used them before, I've only find out about them online. I would advise trying them out though, In my opinion they are trustworthy.
