You can invent new products right now. In fact, if you have a couple hours to spend applying the techniques below, you might easily have a dozen ideas for new inventions. What will not be covered here is how to get financing, build a prototype, or market your new products. Those are great subjects for another article, but for now let's look at three easy-to-implement ways to generate those ideas and get them down on paper.
Your Pain is Your Gain
Invent
One of the simplest ways to invent new products which will actually be wanted by others, is to look at all the daily irritations, pains and problems you have. In fact, if you want to see how easily you can start to generate new invention ideas, just make a list right now. Maybe you are tired of digging and spraying weeds from your aerospace front yard, for example. Start asking questions about what the problem really is and what might be done about it if nothing was impossible.
What if the weeds were sprayed automatically? This question suggests something similar to an irrigation system, but one that sprays weed-killer instead of water. Or, if it is the bending and digging that is the problem, you might imagine a tool that allows you to inject weed-killer into the roots without bending over. Whether you burned yourself on the coffee this morning, hate to scrape ice off the windshield, or have too many unmatched socks in the dresser, every pain and problem is an opportunity to invent new products.
Mix and Match
What do you think of when you imagine combining a regular car and a roller coaster? I imagine building a winding hilly stretch of road and charging people to drive their own cars on it, as a form of amusement park ride. High banks could make it safe. People already go out to some stretches of road just because they are fun to drive, so there could be demand for this new roller coaster track.
The basic idea here is to take elements of different businesses and products, then mix and match them in new ways. This proven strategy has already produced phones that are cameras, and hats that hold beer cans. It could easily give you ten more ideas for new products within an hour.
Find New Uses
Another simple technique you can use to invent new products is to look at all the things around you and find new applications for them. For example, the other day I cut the sleeve off a sweatshirt and noticed that it made a decent hat. The cuff just fell to the back and out of the way, and it didn't really look all that bad. It could be a new fashion. You might even buy up sweaters cheap at thrift stores, and make two sleeve-hats from each, perhaps selling them online.
To use this technique more systematically, just write a list of everything you can see around you right now. Then start asking of each item on the list, "What else could this be made into, or what other purpose could this serve?
These three techniques are easy enough to try right now, and with just a little effort you'll soon be generating new product ideas by the dozens.
You Can Invent New Products Right Now
Copyright Steve Gillman. For inventions, new product ideas, business ideas, story ideas, political and economic theories, deep thoughts, and a free course on Creating New Ideas, visit: http://www.999ideas.com