The UK is full of garden shed inventors and innovators. It is no surprise that the industrial revolution started here!
Setting out as a modern inventor today is a challenging journey, and one which requires a careful balance of expert advice, hard work and a bit of good luck. When you have a great idea for a new product, it isn’t easy to know where to start. While there are more opportunities for innovators and inventors today than ever before, that doesn’t mean it is always a good decision to pursue these new ideas.
The biggest barrier for the private inventor is usually the financial investment required to get a product to market. Simply realising ‘no one else is making it’ is not always a good argument as to why you should make it. At some point in your invention journey, you will need to seek help and support from professional product designers.
How A Professional Product Designer Can Help Your Invention?
#1 – Knowing what to expect from professional help before you start is vital. Not only will they offer their own specialist advice and guidance, but they will provide a new, fresh perspective on your ideas.
Trying to go it alone with a new invention could lead you down the wrong path, whereas a product designer can help to guide you in the right direction, so you can avoid a poorly designed product. They are experts in designing and perfecting new innovations and can help develop your product to be the very best version.
#2 – A professional designer will always question your reasons for doing something. Don’t be offended by this, they are just doing their job and should save you time, expense, and heartache in the long run.
Experts are not asking these difficult questions to put you down or pick fault with your plans, but to help you home in on the perfect product and fine tune all the little details.
For example, our team wouldn’t advise applying for a patent before some objective research is conducted, as this could be an expensive and time-consuming process and should only be done when your idea is set in stone.
Some questions you can expect to be asked when you start working with a professional product designer include:
- How sure are you that there is a real market for your product?
- Are you sure that your solution is the very best and most commercially valuable?
- Do you know how much it would cost to take your product to market, and how to get it there?
If you do not have the answers to these questions, it probably isn’t wise to spend thousands of pounds with a patent attorney protecting the idea.
#3 – Not only will a product designer be able to help you understand the ins and outs of patents, but they can help you to evolve your ideas. One of the most exciting parts of being an inventor is transforming your initial idea into a tangible, working product. This is exactly what a product designer will do for you and offer their specialist knowledge and guidance along the way.
What To Expect with Your First Invention?
#4 – Be prepared to give some of your idea away. There is a saying that 50% of something is better than 100% of nothing. The value of a partner with industry knowledge, contacts, or money is not to be underestimated and can make the difference between success and failure.
#5 – Before working with a professional product designer, be sure you specify your expectations and agreements, so everyone is on the same page. Make sure you have written agreements in place covering responsibilities, ownership, and liabilities before you set out together. This will help you and your partnership to work to the best of its ability, without any surprises or altercations down the line.
Do 4D Work with Inventors on Projects?
We’ve worked with private inventors to help reach their full potential and bring their ideas to life for a number of years and will continue to do so. We don’t fund projects, but are open to offers of shared risk, shared reward.
Each proposal is considered on its own merit. So, if you want to discuss a project, ask us to send you a confidential disclosure agreement (CDA), which protects your interests and allows a free discussion. But you need to be aware of the costs involved. Don’t just assume you have something that can be made. Research it first.
From here, we can openly talk about your invention ideas and whether we are able to help you make it a reality.
