5.1 Invention
Essential idea
The protection of a novel idea of how to solve a problem is a major factor in commercial design
Nature and Aims of Design
Nature of design
Invention by lone inventors or in collaboration creative teams is at the forefront of design. Designers must not only be creative and innovative but also understand the concepts that will make a new product viable. A designer must use imagination and be firmly grounded in factual and procedural knowledge while remembering the needs and limitations of the end user.
Aims
Aim 1: Inventions are often the result of an individual or group’s curiosity about whether something can be done or a problem can be solved. On occasion, inventions are the result of an individual’s curiosity about something other than the product that they finally develop. These inventions include microwave ovens, ink-jet printers and Post-it® notes.
Guidance
As a student of design you should understand that
Drivers for invention include personal motivation to express creativity/for personal interest, scientific or technical curiosity, constructive discontent, desire to make money, desire to help others.
The advantages and disadvantages of being a lone inventor
Benefits of IP include differentiating a business from competitors, selling or licensing to provide revenue streams, offering customers something new and different, marketing/branding, its value as an asset.
IP symbols and their application to products and services
Concepts and principles
Definitions
Invention: the process of discovering a principle which allows a technical advance in a particular field that results in a novel/new product.
Innovation: making an invention useful and successfully entering it into the marketplace.
Drivers for invention
There are several drivers, or motivation, that spur invention.
Express Creativity or for Personal Interest
Inventors might have a creative or personal interest that motivates them to create a new design. Theo Jansen was motivated by the idea of creating self-sustaining wind-powered creatures that lived on a beach to develop complex mechanical and movement systems. The aesthetic and artistic considerations of the kinesthetic sculptures are dependent on developing innovative mechanisms.
Constructive Discontent
A dissatisfaction with the current state of things or status quo might motivate an inventor to find a better solution. Dyson was dissatisfied with traditional wheelbarrows. The narrow wheels would sink into mud and soft ground making them difficult to push. His dissatisfying experience using a traditional barrow motivated him to explore a different and more efficient solution.
Dyson Ballbarrow. Read more about it here.
Scientific or technical curiosity
An invention may come about as a part of scientific or technical curiosity; Asking, "Is this possible?" The laser was originally developed for research into molecular structures, but it has now become an essential element of several technologies: bar code scanners, CD ROMs, range-finders, and surgery.
Desire to make money
Innovative designs and ideas are essential objectives for successful businesses. Financially successful designs generate a financial return with can in turn be invested in further research and development, creating new inventions and innovations.
Gillet safety razors are a well-known example of invention driven by a desire to make money. Realizing that a disposable razor blade would result in repeat purchases, Gillette developed a system in 1903 whereby the blade was removable from the holder. Over a century later, Gillette continues to innovate around the concept of a removable blade. Read more here.
Desire to help others
Improving the world is an essential aspect of design. A desire to help others is also fundamental to empathy and Design Thinking. IDEO.org has been founded expressley to explore design solutions to social and environmental issues.
The lone inventor
The lone inventor is an individual working outside or inside an organization who is committed to the invention of a novel product. They often become isolated because he or she is engrossed with ideas that may be resisted by others.
Examples of lone inventors
Leonardo DaVinci
Nikolai Tesla
Intellectual Property
Intellectual property (IP) are the legally recognised right to creations of the mind. Common types of intellectual property include:
copyright
trademark
patents
trade dress
trade secrets
IP provides businesses with an important legal tool to protect and differentiate their products and services from their competitors. Business benefit from IP by:
differentiating themselves from competitors
allowing the sale or licensing of technology which can generate revenue
defining marketing and branding
establishing a brand that has value as an asset
Strategies for protecting IP:
Under IP law, several legal tools are available for companies to protect their IP rights.
patents: An agreement from a government office to give someone the right to make or sell a new invention for a certain number of years. Owners of a patent can prevent others from using, making, or selling a product that uses the idea - or they can charge a fee to do so and earn revenue.
trademark: A trademark is a symbol, word, or words legally registered or established by use as representing a company or product.
source: HowStuffWorks.com; How patents work
design protection/trade dress: A simple and cost-effective way to protect an innovative shape, appearance or ornamentation
copyright: A legal right that grants the creator of an original work exclusive ownership for its use and distribution. Usually for a limited time and within geographical boundaries, copyright allows the creator to receive compensation for their intellectual effort.
service mark: A trademark used to identify a service rather than a product.
77 Steps: The story fo the Emeco Navy Chair
Explore this story about the Emerco Navy Chair in the documentary 77 steps, published by 99% Invisible.
"Benjamen Walker of Theory of Everything walked 99% Invisible Host Roman Mars around New York city, pointing out real and fake Emeco chairs. Sometimes you can spot the difference in a design detail, or just the weight of the fakes, which are often heavier.
“In America today, most people think of design as shape,” Gregg Buchbinder told Walker on a tour of Emeco’s Harrisburg factory. "
First to market
"The first product that created a new market (such as the desktop computer), a product category (such as the portable computer), or a substantial subdivision of a category (such as the laptop or handheld computer)." businessictionary.com
Being first to market can have several benefits: Consumer impact by delivering a new and innovative product to meet needs; Lack of competition means you are the sole supplier; Name recognition as your product defines the product category
Shelved technologies
Occasionally a technology may be invented and developed, but not brought to market. It is then shelved, kept as an asset, but not sold or licensed.
There are several reasons for this:
Cost: current costs for manufacture may be too high, and thus the product is not brought to market
Technological: the concept may be well developed but key technical innovations are still lacking.
Social: Consumers may not be ready for the product as they perceive it unnecessary, strange, aesthetically unappealing, or unsafe.
Examples of shelved technologies that were later brought to market.
3D printers: developed in the 80s, recent technological developments have only brought the price-point down to where they are affordable for home users and schools.
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Collision avoidance and self-driving cars: These systems required huge advances in AI before they could be implemented into mass market cars
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Google Glass (top) and Dyson Halo (bottom): Google Glass was introduced to the public in 2011; The technology was ultimately withdrawn after about a year citing poor sales, safety and privacy concerns. Read the full story here. Interestingly, Dyson's Halo , a design very similar to Google Glass, was designed and patented in 2001, but shelved as the company switched its focus. In both cases, the technologies ended up in later products, though neither company has brought glasses back to the market..
