Product Design

Beyond the novelty search

There is no point in spending time effort and money in developing a ‘new’ product - only to discover months later that something almost identical is in production. That’s why one of the very first things that Ideas into Profit suggest (after you sign the non- disclosure agreement) is that a novelty search is carried out.

A novelty search will determine whether your idea is in fact different in a significant way from other products on the market, or even currently being developed. Without this crucial distinctiveness, grant funding is unlikely to be forthcoming. It is also unlikely that an investor or manufacturer will be interested in your product.

There are of course other crucial stages in the development of your idea. The briefing phase of design development is probably the most important part of the whole design process. It is said that you can develop a bad project from a good brief, but it is impossible to design a good product from a poorly delivered brief.

What the brief should do

A good brief sets out the exact requirements which the client desires the final product to achieve. If there are components which need to be included in the design (such as electronics, pcbs [printed circuit boards], connectors etc) these should be specified at the earliest possible time - and wherever feasible that decision adhered to.

In addition, the layout of these parts should at least be considered. Obviously, the uses of the various parts will need to relate to the external form, whilst the connectors should relate back to the pcb layout. It may be determined that the pcb is laid out first and the form of the casework be driven by it, rather than the form driving the board layout.

The product may not have any additional components. In this case, a more complete brief may be produced. The aims of the innovator or inventor can still be stipulated however, and in many cases the design team can suggest ways to improve the design in some way, or give it additional selling points. This will be an advantage if making an application for a patent.

A brief is rarely so open that the designer can start with a completely blank piece of paper. It is the responsibility of the inventor to set parameters. If these are not created, the design team will need to set them in conjunction with the client. The ‘firmer’ these are, the fewer the number of changes in the design process.

As designers we have seen product development affected dramatically because the parts of the project that should have been set in place by the client early in the development have been too ‘loose’, so that the form of the moulded components has been impacted upon.

If the product needs to include electronics, motors, lights or such, it is often better to get the technological side working as a circuit and then develop the method of enclosing the parts and holding them in the correct positions, angles or relationships. Otherwise, when the inventor discovers that another component or components are required, it may necessitate a complete reworking of the casework.