Start over.Whether this is in design, engineering, or building a prototype Sometimes it's best to just Start Over.
Design for X - Right to RepairDesign for X (DfX, DFX) or Design for Excellence where "X" is a variable that can have many different values.
20 Questions: a Design Strategy GuideI've been in product design and development (R&D) for almost 10 years. I've seen a lot of successful projects, and I've also seen a lot...
You don't WANT an injection mold; you WANT profits. Focus on that.Frequently, inventors come to me asking for help with design for injection molding. Usually, it's a molding company that has told them to...
Stages of SuccessHow do you start a profitable $100M business? By growing a profitable $100k business. Success isn't a step function It's a series of...
Done is better than perfectI’ve seen too many design projects stall out in the pursuit of perfection. I like to say, done is better than perfect. Get to a MVP...
Random QuestionsWhen I'm stuck on a challenging problem, I like to ask unrelated/random questions. Questions that force me to think about the problem...
Focus on usability before technical detailsSometimes, devices fail in the marketplace because they have a fundamental usability problem The cartridges are hard to swap out. The...
Creative Work vs Critical WorkI've heard it said that there few creatives and millions of critics. A critic sees what IS, and asks questions: Why did they do it this...
R&D Q's: How to find good Vendors?We're wrapping up with a few tricks to find manufacturing vendors for development.
Climbing without a guideLet me know if you want help navigating your next product development program.
Mini M&M'sHave you considered changing an existing idea/invention in simple way to make a whole new experience?
R&D Q’s: How many Prototypes should I build?Use prototypes to learn what works (and what doesn't) as quickly as possible.
R&D Q’s: How much should I spend on Design?We're going to talk about how much to budget for design work.
LeapPad- cost savings and clever engineeringI was watching my son play with a LeapPad toy book. It had a sensing pen to teach colors, letters, numbers, etc by tracing them in a...
R&D Q’s: How will I monetize my idea?Monetizing an invention should be primary decision when deciding whether an invention idea has merit.
R&D Q’s: How do I plan to test my idea:Design prototypes to satisfy testing strategy. Plan your tests first. Build only what is needed to pass the test. Then plan your next tests
"No such thing as a 6-seater Tundra" ... now that just ain't so“It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble. It’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so.”