Apt Innovations’ first product, the award winning Floe Drain Down Device, was conceived as Jason needed a simple way to winterize his home without having to make an appointment or pay a professional drain down technician. The Floe is a simple device that hooks to the outside hose tap and utilizes a tire compressor to blow out the excess water in the pipes. Apt Innovations’ Floe was written up in the BBC News article “Cold winter inspires NI man’s pipe business”, won the Best Accessory Award from Practical Caravan, and is making sales inroads in many countries around Europe.

Leardon: How did you come up with the idea for the Floë?

Jason: I own a static park home in the lakes area of Northern Ireland. Sadly we were caught out by bad frost which damaged part of the plumbing system and flooded the home. Normally you would pay someone about $180 to drain it at the end of the season, but this is an antiquated system that entails the service engineer trying to push the water back down through the system (the wrong way) in reverse from each faucet. Unfortunately this is not possible on showers as there are non return valves in them, which only allows water to come out of them (the right way). To a service engineer, the shower therefore must be dismantled, rendering the property useless over the winter months until spring.

I wanted to do two things. First I wanted to be able to drain the property myself, without paying someone and I wanted to use the property throughout the winter months as well as the summer. Therefore my idea connects to an outside tap, air is pushed into the system and water released from taps and shower (the right way) By doing this I do not have to dismantle the shower, so I can use the property whenever I like and drain on leaving. I tend to do this once at the end of the season and a few times in winter. At $180 per draindown, this could amount to just short of a thousand dollars. Floë costs less than $30 and can be used for years, not a bad return.

Leardon: What was the most important thing you learned about the prototyping and new product development process?

Jason: First, get a patent or at least a Non Disclosure Agreement (NDA), then the next most important thing is to get the right people on board at the start. So many people go down a road without advice on relevant areas of their product. I would completely recommend that a company find a very experienced product development company to talk this though to the extent that there are no more surprises or guesswork. This will keep the price of product development and prototyping down to a minimum. Our such advisers were Leardon Solutions. Here you have two sides of advice, one for the business and selling of the product, i.e. what works and what doesn’t and second the engineering advice as to which is the most cost effective, yet visually appealing end product.

Leardon: How did you prototype the Floë?

Jason: I created a very ugly prototype for myself, which worked right through the winter. I then made some slightly more attractive but still inexpensive homemade versions that I sold to people for a very small price. Accepting payment means that there is some skin in the game from the customers and it also proves that people will pay something for an solution. Of course you could provide free samples, it is up to you. These worked for about 25 people through the next winter. It was then that we knew we had a potential product. We then got some Northern Ireland Government funding for a patent and prototype, which we then took to Leardon Solutions to create more basic prototypes and eventually the finished product.

Leardon: What did you learn about manufacturing a product? Any issues encountered?

Jason: It takes time. You need to take this time to get the product right. If you don’t, every thing else that you do can be flawed. A house can be stunningly beautiful, but if built on a flawed foundation, it could fall apart. A product is similar. Say you spend all of your time making a product, but there is a change that has been overlooked or not tested correctly. This could cause you problems. By the time you have realised it, you may have developed the packaging and photography which would all be wasted if the product has to be changed, or even sold some, in which case you will face returns.

Take time to test every opportunity and suspicion that you might have. I know most are bursting to get it onto the market but understand it will save you time in the long run.

Leardon: Why is Northern Ireland a great place to prototype and develop products?

Jason: Once upon a time Northern Ireland was a powerhouse in Engineering, Shipbuilding and Linen Manufacture. Much of the big industries sadly died away over the years leaving a large proportion of Service sector businesses in its stead. This is clearly not good for growth as manufacture and export are paramount. Northern Ireland has always had innovation brimming under the surface and now I am glad to say that local councils and Government are really pushing tech and innovation once again, really putting Northern Ireland on the world map again, so much so that the head of Government for Industry in China, felt it prudent to visit Northern Ireland last week

Leardon: What recommendations do you have for others with product ideas?

Jason: Get your product really ahead of the game and then when you are ready to be first to market, showcase the life out of it. It is being first to market that is important and stay there. Use every piece of homemade PR that you have in your arsenal. Magazines love to write articles for free on new stuff, in fact get someone to write it for you, then send it out to a range of media, who will print it up for you.

Time your marketing to when it will be most effective, particularly magazines. Newspapers and radio are more day by day but magazines take months. Also, use online forums etc, do a video and put it on youtube.com, then link it on your website. Use all of this.

Visit Apt Innovation’s website for more information and to get updates.

Need more information on new product development or the manufacturing process? Please contact us with any questions or contact me directly at joseph.donoghue ( at ) leardon.com

Stay tuned to the Leardon blog for updates and visit the Patents and Prototype live show on June 5th @ 6:30pm to hear from some of the program participants.

With the downturn in the economy, a lot of people have taken this opportunity to go after that dream of entrepreneurship. At Leardon Solutions, we feel like product development for entrepreneurs / inventors is more popular than it has ever been in last few decades and one of the upsides is the amount of innovation coming through. We’ve been on our toes trying to get critical information out to the market place to help people succeed. Types of information include tips on how to prototype, manufacturing in the USA and overseas, the product development lifecycle and how to avoid pitfalls within the process.

Recently, Joe Donoghue of Leardon Solutions had the opportunity to be a guest on Troy Hazard‘s new show “Gettin’ Down To Business”. The show is about an hour long and they really get into detail about the product development process. If you want to see the entire episode just click here. We’ve put together a quick highlight reel for your enjoyment as well.

Good luck with your product development and please contact us with any questions.

The show focuses on the patent process and prototype process of new product creation. We hope this once a month show brings value in terms of education and entertainment to that process and those wanting to pursue their dreams and build products that are innovative.

Below is a replay of the show. You can also find out more here

We have been very busy here at Leardon Solutions helping Entrepreneurs and businesses with their ideas and products. It seems the busier we get, the more inspired we are to reach out and touch the community in new ways. Social media has been a great way to keep in contact with entrepreneurs, inventors and businesses. However, tonight marks the start of a new community outreach program that Leardon Solutions will be part of.

Starting at 6:30pm/pst our very own Joe Donoghue co-hosts a monthly live web show just for entrepreneurs, inventors and businesses owners. The show is all about the product development and patent process. We’re very excited because it’s our way of reaching out and speaking with a community that we don’t often get to see face to face outside of our own geographic areas. It gives us the opportunity to answer questions in real time and an offers an opportunity for the community to interact with each other via chat and webcam.

We hope that you can make it. Here is a link to the show schedule and a link to the live show that starts at 6:30pm/pst. Just login as a guest using your real name so that we know who you are and bring those patent and prototype questions!

Thanks and hope to see you there!

The Leardon Team

Q: What is

A: It’s a new interactive web show co-hosted by Joseph Donoghue from Leardon Solutions and Eric Hanscom from Intercontinental IP featuring guest entrepreneurs and experts

Q: Who’s it for?

A: Entrepreneurs, inventors, startups and small business preparing to build product that need questions answered regarding the product development lifecycle, the patent process or just overall advice on getting their product and team to the next step.

Q: When is it?

A: The first Tuesday of every month at 6:30pm/pst

Q: Where is it?

A: Get the show details and links by visiting the Patents and Prototypes website and subscribing to the show schedule. You can also sign up for the show newsletter here.

Q: How do I ask a question?

A: You can submit a question here, also, time permitting, you can ask during the live show.

See you there!!

In fact crowdfunding is so disruptive that Obama recently signed the JOBS act (here’s a break down at Mashable).

Right now may be a great time to get your product development, prototype or other startup expenses covered via crowdfunding.

Below is a list of some of the top crowdfunding sites. They’re all different and seem to target a different type of entrepreneur, some are for creatives looking to launch a music career, others are for inventors with a product idea.

As always, read the fine print when signing on the dotted line with any of the following sites or other crowdfunding sites. We recommend going with a reputable site with a history and success stories. Good luck!

Kickstarter For entrepreneurs, innovators, artists and the like. If you need funding for you project, Kickstarter is a great place to watch, learn and participate. With a lot of successful projects, there are some great examples on how to inspire a community to support your vision. Also, don’t be afraid to reach out and contact folks who have posted on Kickstarter, they are often more than willing to offer advice and help.The fees are in the fine print 5% + transaction fees, but basically, you must reach your set goal to get funded.

An example of kickstarter success on Designboom.com

Indiegogo The platform is as simple as Kickstarter. As they say on their site “Create Your Campaign” “Gain global exposure” and “Get Inspired”. The fees vary from 4% to 9% based on the success of your project and a few variables like credit card processing fees. Indiegogo also coins itself as the worlds largest global funding platform.

Interesting factoid – the movie “Bully” received some funding from a campaign on Indiegogo

Other projects of indiegogo.com fame? How about the Luminaid

Rockethub “RocketHub is a launchpad and community for independent artists and entrepreneurs” as it states on their site.

Two notable advantages of Rockethub – Internationally based and they accept money from around the world.

“Extra Credits” set a goal to raise $15,000 through Rockethub.com and has already raised $103,814.

Crowdtilt has a slightly different model called group funding. Watch the video on the homepage for a very quick and simple description. Crowdtilt is focused less on the Entrepreneur / selling an idea and more focused on managing money collected for anything like group funded birthday gifts. Where crowdtilt may be advantageous is for those individuals that have a strong and large social network group. Don’t count Crowdtilt out for your entrepreneurial product ideas, just be aware that it appears to cater more to smaller one off funding purposes than a fundraising tool with incentives for contributors. Crowdtilt was birthed from the Ycombinator incubator and is quickly picking up steam.

Have your own experience with crowdfunding? We’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment.

Thanks!

The Patents and Prototypes Team

A PROTOTYPE SHOWS YOU ARE WILLING TO PUT SKIN IN THE GAME
If you truly believe in the product idea, you will inevitably put “skin in the game”, meaning that you will use your own money to get as far as possible prior to receiving outside funding. Funders need to know you are committed to the project and spending your own money on a prototype will help convince them of that.

Nothing is better than showing off your product idea with an aesthetically pleasing and functional prototype. One way to keep the prototyping costs as low as possible is to build a minimum viable prototype. A minimum viable prototype is similar to a minimum viable product. The idea behind the minimum viable prototype is to only develop and prototype those important product functions and features that allow you to demonstrate what the product does on your project video. In a minimum viable prototype, there is no need to focus on the corner cases of functionality which will take most of the product development focus. Keep the crowdfunding prototype simple, otherwise you will spend more money than necessary and risk confusing the people who might fund your project.

YOUR PROTOTYPE IS AN EXTENSION OF YOU AND YOUR COMPANY
Interestingly, a prototype is an extension of you, your company, and the values of your company. In other words, the quality of your prototype gives potential funders a first impression of you and your efforts. Give them your best first impression by having a great prototype.

When people see your prototype, they will immediately know if you have thought through only the simple aspects of your product idea or if you have dug deep into the critical aspects of the product such as the user and human interface, the detailed design, the interactions with other products, and the manufacturing or assembly issues. Also, the prototype will show if you have a true innovation, an improvement over an existing product, or a trivial reinvention. Create your prototype so that is demonstrates the important functions of the product and looks good.

Producing prototypes is one of the first challenges of product development. Based on the quality, functionality, and overall look of the prototype, people can easily gauge how prepared you are to take on the challenges ahead. Show them that you are prepared for the future challenges of product qualification, production, and manufacturing scale-up by demonstrating your prototype is the best possible embodiment of your product idea.

DON’T TAKE MONEY UNTIL YOU ARE READY TO EXECUTE
Once you receive funding from the crowdfunding sites, you will be required to fulfill the promises stated in your crowdfunding project. If you have demonstrated a functioning prototype in your project video, you will be best prepared to step into production and manufacturing and will not have taken people’s money without a clear vision for the funding.

Developing products that meet the quality and functionality goals isn’t always easy so work with a respectable engineering and manufacturing team that understands the needs of entrepreneurs. This team should be capable of providing end-to-end product development, from the initial prototype development through production and manufacturing fulfillment.

Need more information? Please contact us with any questions or contact me directly at joseph.donoghue ( at ) leardon.com

REGISTER HERE

From Idea to Product:

Best Practices in Product Development and Manufacturing

Monday, April 16th, 2012

3:00 – 4:00 pm

Founders Room

 Keck Graduate Institute and Leardon Solutions invite you to a product development and manufacturing seminar titled “From Idea to Product: Best Practices in Product Development and Manufacturing.” This seminar will cover the important aspects of the product development life cycle used by the most successful companies to create products from early ideas through production. The goal will be to describe these processes in ways that can be directly implemented at micro, small, and medium enterprises. Using real life cases to illustrate concepts, Leardon Solutions will demonstrate best practices as well as pitfalls to avoid. Time will be available at the end of the seminar to visit with the presenters and get advice on any relevant topics.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND: Managers and technical personnel from small and medium enterprises involved in product development and manufacturing activities as well as entrepreneurs, students, and start-up companies working on turning their ideas into actual products.

ABOUT THE PRESENTERS: Joseph Donoghue and Murray Learmonth, co-founders of Leardon Solutions located in San Diego, California, have a combined 40 years experience in new product development and operations. Leardon Solutions, a multinational corporation with expertise in product development, design, and manufacturing, is focused on helping small/medium enterprises (SME), entrepreneurs, start-ups, and innovators translate their ideas and concepts into physical products. Recognizing that these enterprises have special product development needs, Leardon Solutions has tailored their product development experience at Fortune 100 companies for this unique group. Their engineering, manufacturing, and supply chain expertise allows customers to focus on their core competencies and consistently yields world-class cost, quality, and time-to-market. Leardon Solutions’ global team is currently working on multiple design and manufacturing programs for companies in Europe and the United States spanning the medical, commercial, consumer electronics, active sports, and beverage dispensing industries.

For more information, please go to www.leardon.com.

Below are a few tips to consider when designing a product. These tips are based on years of experience from the Leardon team and are overall the best high-level tips to take into consideration as you begin your entrepreneurial venture into new product development.

A good product development team consists of individuals from different disciplines with diverse goals, objectives, and perspectives. When at the stage of designing a product, be sure to choose a group of talented individuals that are able to compromise for the success of the project.

The product designers and engineers on a project are key to a successful product design but typically have different objectives for the project outcome. Engineers tend to enjoy the “objective” goals of product development such as product reliability, quality, dimensional details, and manufacturing processes while product designers tend to focus more on the “subjective” aspects of product development such as customer profile, product design features, human factors, and the user interface. When embarking on the initial stages of product design, it is important that all team members work together to achieve the goals of the project. Early in the product development life cycle, consider these three tips when starting the product design phase of the product.

Think Simple
There is no reason to complicate any problem and product design development is no exception. The best product designs are typically those that form a simple connection between function and design. If a designer overcomplicates the design, the customer will be alienated and the resulting product will not do well in the market. The goal of a good product design is to pull in the customers with a nonthreatening design that seems inviting and easy to use.

When initiating the design phase of the product, be sure that the design team thinks “simplicity” so that the design concepts, user interface, and human factors can be easily implemented later down the product development life cycle.

Benchmark
It isn’t necessary to reinvent the wheel and in fact sometimes customers would prefer that you don’t. It is a good idea when starting out on the product design path to review and research all the competitor products on the market and gauge which design features make the product successful and which resulted in failure in the market. Obviously, improve the successful features and avoid the failures.

When benchmarking new products, evaluate how the similar features similar are implemented in product design and then determine how new features and functions can be implemented into the product design. Remember not to change things that are familiar and mainstream for customers. For example, it would be a bad idea to try and reinvent how the automobile gear shifter is designed and integrated into the interior design. Customers are too familiar with the current embodiment and would probably reject any major design changes.

Prototype and Test
Once the first release of a product design is “ready for the world to see”, it is best to prototype and test the design prior to releasing the design to the engineering team for detailed engineering in CAD. There are many ways to prototype the design, including foam models, rapid prototyping, computer simulations, or functional prototypes. When testing the prototype, show it to people unfamiliar but interested in the product. The test can be done through focus groups, informal studies, and on-line surveys. It is best to interview as many people as possible to be sure to get a large amount of feedback from a diverse group. Once this feedback is received, implement this back into the product design to improve the design to meet as many requirements as possible.

If you are interested in showing off your work, learning more, or posting topics for discussion in the industrial and product design community, you should visit Product Design Forums.

Need more information? Please contact us with any questions or contact me directly at joseph.donoghue ( at ) leardon.com