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In general, inventions come from a need in society that cannot currently be met by current technologies. Sometimes the need is for something incredibly simple, other times for multi-million dollar projects, either way there is a need that requires an innovative solution.
Designs also need to meet certain standards before they become viable to be produced and used by the masses. There are physical, social, and possibly political needs that need to be taken into account so as to not have a roadblock in the creation of a new invention.
Design Proposal 1: Wireless charge mouse pad and heated glove (keeps hand warm while using a computer mouse)
What problem are you solving?
Thinking of something simple, common, and an issue that I have quite often, a problem that I was looking at was the cold hands that gamers get while playing games. Usually when people use a mouse, their elbow sits at a lower level than their hand and as a result their hand gets very cold. Now most people won’t have this problem, as they might only use a computer on and off throughout the day for shorter periods of time, but for gamers they tend to sit for multiple hours in the same position and eventually their hand gets cold. The reason this is an issue is that when your hands are cold it is much more difficult to move your hand precisely in order to perform well in games.
Who are your stakeholders?
The stakeholders that I have found are gamers, designers/developers/marketers, parents, distributors, and gaming tech companies. Big companies that I would see as looking for this type of product would be Razer, Logitech, BestBuy, Newegg, and other similar entities.
What would be the risks for your project?
The risks of this project would be mainly that there is an uncertainty as to whether something that keeps a gamers hand warm without getting in the way of playing is something that would be wanted. Just using myself as a reference, I don’t think that I would ever really want to spend money on something like that. In general most gamers just suck it up and keep playing, or they get used to the cold and cope with it. I also see a potential risk that if this is something that includes heating elements, there is always the chance of a fire. This would only be the case if an external way of heating is applied, like through a mouse pad or something similar, but if something like a glove was made this might not be as prevalent.
Design Proposal 2: Shared scheduling app
What problem are you solving?
Normally whenever someone would like to know if a friend or a family member is willing to go out for drinks, a movie, or any random event, typically the procedure is that they will text or call each other to check to see if their schedule is free. This can sometimes lead to awkward situations where the invitee is unavailable and has to turn down the invite. With the shared scheduling app, users would be able to use it just like a normal day planner, or calendar, but they would be able to share it with those that they wish to. The user would be able to see if their friends and family are able to go out for some fun, skipping the need for an awkward refusal. The user would also be able to mask their events or mark them as private, should they wish to fill a time slot without letting others know exactly what they are doing.
Who are your stakeholders?
The main stakeholders would be technology and information companies. There are plenty of companies that could use the app for collecting data, whether it be social trends or levels of activity of different areas/people. There are also companies that develop social apps for the specific purpose of marketing, they would likely want to have a part in a social app such as this.
What would be the risks for your ideal project?
The risks of this project are that it might not be desirable by people. Some people may like the way that things are currently, with having to text or call to check someones schedule. The hope is that many kids and young adults typically like to avoid social situations, especially the awkward ones, and that they would use the app to prevent such cases. There is also the risk that there could be copycats, as the app world is full of them. As long as its a good idea, others will create similar apps that can steal the market and lower the apps overall success.