How to Invent a Product
Here's a step-by-step guide for transforming your idea into a real invention, which you can make, sell or patent.
[edit] Steps
- Start by keeping a journal. It would prove that you are the original inventor, and it would show the transformation of your idea from an abstraction into a real and patentable invention. Always sign and date entries.
- Perceive your idea and note it in your journal, regardless of how simple, how complex, how expensive or how difficult it may seem.
- Describe every component of that idea with as much detail possible. Include a sketch, clip pictures or summarize articles that closely describe each component.
- Elaborate on the functions, characteristics and other requirements of each component in greater detail. Here, your critical thinking skills begin improving as you analyze and compare features, prices or availability of each part. Your base information begins accumulating here.
- Decide on which information to discard, to keep or to further pursue.
- Plan how to get more information. A good plan recognizes the data that you already have, the resources and the time and efforts needed in order to get additional information.
- Act upon your plan. Have a positive mental attitude and do it!
- Repeat step 2 and perceive what you have accomplished. The last 6 steps are also called the circle of thought, in which knowledge increases in each step. Your journal would show additional things that you have learned about what's unnecessary and what would most likely work. Your idea is your object of reflection, and each time that you apply the 6-step circle of thought, your knowledge increases in a virtual upward spiral. Using this method, you can invent anything; you can turn an abstract idea into an actual invention.
[edit] Warnings
- Inventing may seem easy for some, and difficult to others. It is a skill that can be developed with practice.
- Avoid Inventoritis
