It is often said that there is a novel in all of us. I would suggest the same is true for inventions. When you have a keen interest in a particular activity, pastime or occupation, it is almost inevitable that after some time, the experience leads to an awareness of the tricks and short-cuts to achieve success. A comedienne or public speaker learns the best use of pauses and timing for best effect. The garment designer knows how best to cut and sew to achieve a desirable drape. A care worker learns how best to position a patient for dressing. These insights might be considered expertise.
Improving performance
Similarly, with experience, comes an awareness of the problems and gain insights into improving performance of a task. We might come up with special tools or jigs that make things easier. Solutions to problems that might seem obvious but might be the seed of an inventive step or innovation.
Not every clever solution is an invention but many might be. And not every person that dreams up a solution would consider themselves an inventor with hopes of commercialising the idea. But if this is you, you’ve done the easy part. The hard part is to turn a great idea into a viable business and this is where the Design Council’s Spark Innovation Fund can help.
Fast Track to Market
If your idea is one of the best of those put forward by 3pm on Monday 23 November 2015, you could be on put on a Fast Track Programme to help turn your idea into a product with the opportunity to pitch for a share of the £150,00 investment fund at the end of the programme. You can make an application on the Design Council website.
You never know, in the months to come, we could be working in collaboration to bring our innovative products to market. To get a sneak preview of my idea which received support from Spark, click here.
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