At Creative Mechanisms, we have been turning ideas into reality for many years, across many industries. Our team has considerable experience helping companies and individuals bring products to market in various verticals (toys, medical devices, food and beverage packaging, personal care, etc). To the best of our ability, we share this experience and knowledge with those who approach us with an idea, and we love to help with design and engineering. One of the lessons we’ve learned is that not every idea is cut out for the product development process. If you’re an inventor or individual with an idea you want to bring to market, it’s important to consider the following questions:

• Do you have adequate experience in and knowledge of the industry you are trying to change? This may sound like a silly question, but we see it all the time: someone identifies a problem, devises a solution, and attempts to “revolutionize” xyz industry. This is all fine and well - it’s that sort of creative drive that powers the world - but when a person doesn’t have the appropriate experience or context, the idea doesn’t have much potential to change an industry, or even get on the shelves. While one of these ideas may be a homerun every so often, a more common outcome is that an important consideration has been overlooked, or there are serious design flaws that will prevent an idea from coming to market. Consider: does your idea objectively improve or bring something new? Would someone outside of the industry, with only limited knowledge, say that it is a revolutionary idea?

This is where Creative Mechanisms can step in - issues like this would be identified in an initial meeting with our CEO, Tony Rogers. Tony has years of experience asking tough questions and brings a balanced perspective centered around Return on Investment (ROI) for any particular idea. An overall new idea might be good, but the execution or physical embodiment is lacking. This is where we come in to say how we can do the idea differently and help it achieve a greater level of success. Rather than discussing the technical details of a concept, Tony’s intent is to help individuals decipher whether they have an idea worth pursuing based on financial and time inputs. (Click here to try out the ROI calculator on our site for ballpark figures.)

• Are you financially prepared to embark on the product development process? The time and financial resources required to see a product through to shelves can be substantial - potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars. If that number makes you balk, you’re not alone. But consider that a product often needs to be designed, developed, prototyped, tested, sent through market research, and then through the mass manufacturing process. Beyond that, retail outlets need to be coordinated; someone has to actually sell the item! Of course, not every product will follow this path, but many inventors are not willing to spend upfront costs (say, ten thousand dollars) to create a prototype.

Answering these questions may seem simple, but they need to be carefully considered and reflected upon before you invest hard-earned money and scarce time into pursuing a certain path. At Creative Mechanisms, our team is here to help you with both initial steps and throughout the product development process. If your idea is still a concept, we can help design and engineer a solution. If you’re farther along the process, consulting with Tony is a great option to really assess opportunities for success. Contact us if you have questions about whether Creative Mechanisms can help you turn your ideas into reality!

To learn more about the manufacturing process click here