The Best and Worst Product Ideas of 2014
What were some of the highlights (and fails) of 2014?
Best and Worst Products of 2014
Take a look at the best and worst product ideas of 2014.
Best product ideas
Sonos. Sonos is the sound system of the future. These speakers can be controlled over an existing Wi-Fi network using a computer, smartphone, or tablet. Not only are these speakers high-tech, but their sound is crystal clear.
Remington iCoffee RCB100-BC12. The Remington iCoffee is essentially a new reason to get out of bed in the morning. If you are a huge fan of a traditional french press, but aren’t into the entire, manual process, then the Remington iCoffee is ideal for you. The product is easy to use, automates the process, and minimizes the fuss, leaving you with a steaming hot cup of coffee without the hassle.
Sleep Number i8 Bed. If you’re stuck co-sleeping with a tosser and turner, then this is your ideal solution. The Sleep Number i8 Bed is an adjustable air mattress that offers amazing support and doesn’t transfer vibrations. While your partner tosses the night away, you can continue to dream peacefully.
Worst product ideas
Candy-flavored e-cigarettes. E-cigarette companies are increasingly gearing their products toward young children, and offer e-cigarettes with candy flavors and bright-colored packaging. With no regulations on e-cigarettes, there is virtually nothing keeping them out of the hands of kids, which could have catastrophic long-term implications. “The long term safety of e-cigarettes is still uncertain, the concentrated liquid nicotine is clearly harmful if you happen to be exposed to it, and I have serious doubts about whether it can ever really help people to stop smoking,” says Marvin M. Lipman, M.D., Consumer Reports chief medical adviser.
Cadillac’s CUE. Across the industry, car manufacturers are ditching practical knobs and buttons in favor of fancy touch-screens. As it turns out, however, more technology doesn’t necessarily guarantee a better user experience. According to Consumer Reports, 60 percent of drivers who purchased a vehicle equipped with the CUE experienced problems when learning how to use the device during the first week of ownership, and one-third of users continued to experience problems after the first week of ownership.
PureWash. The pureWash Eco Friendly Laundry System easily mounts to any laundry machine and promises get your clothes clean sans detergent, relying on a sophisticated system that injects ozone into the water to disinfect, deodorize, and sanitize. The company boasts that ozone kills germs 3,000 times more effectively than bleach, leaving your clothes sparkling clean. The problem? According to tests conducted by Consumer Reports, using pureWash is only slightly more effective than washing with water alone. While the product might guarantee a pure wash, it isn’t considered an ideal option for those who actually like to get their clothes clean.
Pivot International is a product design, development, and manufacturing firm with strengths in software development, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, and industrial design. If you are interested in engineering a new product or updating an existing product, contact us at 1-877-206-5001 or request your free consultation today.
5 Products to Be Excited About in 2015
From Apple to Samsung, some of the world’s most prominent brands have exciting new products in the works for 2015.
Best Products of 2015
Which products should you be most excited about? Take a look at our list.
Apple Watch
Set to release in early 2015, the tech world is abuzz with excitement regarding this newest Apple product. But this device is way more than just a watch. It boasts a range of cool features, including fitness tracking capabilities such as an accelerometer, a heart-tracking sensor, and a new software platform that flawlessly hosts a variety of health and fitness apps. It also comes fully equipped with MegaSafe charging technology and digital touch, both of which allow users to share simple messages and images with a mere touch of the screen.
Samsung Galaxy S6
As the next flagship smartphone from Samsung, the Samsung Galaxy S6 could help the company make up ground that was lost to Apple last year. The Galaxy S6 will be constructed entirely from aluminum for a sleek feel, and is set to showcase a variety of ultra technologies such as a fully curved screen, a Quad HD screen, and a world-class camera.
Touch version of Microsoft Office for Windows
Microsoft Office is finally getting a touchscreen, as well as a more streamlined, easier-to-use interface optimized for a range of mobile devices. You can expect to see the touch version of Microsoft Office hit the market sometime in 2015.
The 12-inch iPad
The iPad is getting much bigger. In 2015 Apple is set to release a 12-inch version of one of its most popular products. Also known as the iPad Pro, it boasts an ultra-thin, sleek design, as well as a high-speed triple-core A8X processor. It also boasts a motion coprocessor with several sensors, including a gyroscope, accelerometer, GPS, barometer, compass functionality, and FaceTime HD camera.
The Oculus Rift
The Oculus Rift is a virtual reality head mounted display that could totally revolutionize the way we play video games. Word has it that Mark Zuckerberg was so impressed by the device that he bought the company for a staggering two billion. The Oculus Rift is still in development, but should become available sometime in early 2015.
Pivot International is a product design, development, and manufacturing firm with strengths in software development, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, and industrial design. If you are interested in engineering a new product or updating an existing product, contact us at 1-877-206-5001 or request your free consultation today.
3 Examples of Major Product Flops
Launching a product can be a difficult thing to do. A mere 3 percent of new consumer packaged goods manage to surpass first-year sales of $50 million — the number widely considered to be the benchmark of a highly successful launch. This means that out of every 100 products launched, 97 won’t make it into the highly successful category.
Failed Product Examples
Given those odds, it’s natural that some product launches turn out to be total flops. Most major companies have experienced face-palm level flops at some point in their histories, from McDonald’s to Netflix. Let’s take a look at some of the biggest product flops the world has ever seen.
The Nook
Barnes and Nobles is known as a bookseller, so things didn’t go too well when the company decided to take the plunge into the world of ereader tablets. In a world of ever-changing technology and hyper-technological advancement, consumers just couldn’t seem to associate “technology” with a company so well known for print books. Amazon ended up taking the lion’s share of the ereader market, and the Nook became history.
Pepsi AM
Most of us prefer to start the day and get our caffeine fix with a morning cup of coffee. Of course, there’s always an oddball who rejects a fresh, steaming cup of coffee in favor of an ice-cold Pepsi. Back in 1989, Pepsi thought these oddballs were actually a lucrative, untapped market segment, except they thought wrong. When Pepsi released “Pepsi AM” in order to target morning Pepsi drinkers, things didn’t exactly go as planned. But in spite of the fact the product lasted on the market for a year, Pepsi decided to give things another go three years later in 1992. The result? Another flop. That old “if at first you don’t succeed try again” adage clearly wasn’t in the company’s best interest this time around, and evidently, Pepsi in the morning just wasn’t meant to be.
McDonald’s Arch Deluxe
Back in 1996, McDonald’s made an attempt to appeal to “urban sophisticates” with the Arch Deluxe, which featured a secret mustard-mayonnaise sauce. Unfortunately, however, the brand synonymous with fast, low-priced food did not have much success attracting a more sophisticated, urban crowd. It might be more accurate to say that the brand didn’t have any success. McDonald’s pumped a staggering $100 million into the product before it went under, making it one of the biggest products fails in history.
Pivot International is a product design, development, and manufacturing firm with strengths in software development, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, and industrial design. If you are interested in engineering a new product or updating an existing product, contact us at 1-877-206-5001 or request your free consultation today.
Get Rid of Holiday Stress with These 4 Products
From baking dozens of Christmas cookies, to shopping for your entire extended family, sometimes the holidays can seem like one enormous stress fest.
Product Inventions that reduce Holiday Stress
Thankfully, these four products can make your holiday season a bit less stressful.
A meat thermometer
You’ll never again stress about whether that Thanksgiving turkey or Christmas ham is done. After all, there’s nothing worse than worrying about serving undercooked meat, which can keep you up the night before a holiday gathering. So don’t even think about putting a turkey in the oven this Thanksgiving with a meat thermometer. The Range Smart iPhone / iPad Thermometer can even sent alerts to your iOS device when the ideal temperature has been reached.
All-Clad Slow Cooker
If you’re hosting Thanksgiving dinner, it might seem like you have half a dozen things to cook simultaneously, which of course means you will inevitably run out of stove burners. Luckily, this slow cooker provides a bit more cooking space!
Maxx Family Power Bank
According to AAA estimates, some 95 million Americans will travel an average of 50 miles or more this holiday season. Whether you’re making the trek to your in-laws across country, or to your sister’s house on the other side of the state, one thing is for sure: you’ve got to be prepared. Whether you are traveling by plane, train, or automobile, stow a portable family power bank in your bag. After all, if the iPad dies mid-trip it will be a lot harder to keep your children entertained, and if your flight is delayed six hours but you’re stuck with a dead cell phone, you will generate more worry for the in-laws then necessary.
Victorio Apple Peeler
The worst part about baking an apple pie? Peeling all of those apples. Who has time to peel by hand when there’s a turkey in the oven, stuffing on the stove, and potatoes waiting to be mashed? Luckily, peeling all those apples for those four apple pies you have to make just got a whole lot easier. Your hands will thank you!
Pivot International is a product design, development, and manufacturing firm with strengths in software development, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, and industrial design. If you are interested in engineering a new product or updating an existing product, contact us at 1-877-206-5001 or request your free consultation today.
These 3 Product Ideas Amazed the World
There is no denying it: a good product idea can truly revolutionize the world as we know it.
Product Ideas That Have Changed the World
For a bit of product design inspiration, take a look at these three product ideas that have totally changed the world.
The light bulb
The incandescent light bulb made the world a brighter place—literally. Of course, before the light bulb, there was light. But once Thomas Edison designed what is arguably one of the world’s most revolutionary products in 1879, things changed substantially, eliminating the need for fire or kerosene to light up a room. An added bonus? Light bulbs don’t blow out when it is windy, don’t fizzle out when wet, and never run out of oil. Of course, the light bulb has undergone significant changes since it first made an appearance over half a century ago. From fluorescent lights to LEDs, the light bulb is still being reinvented over 150 years later.
The Model T
In 1908, Henry Ford introduced the Model T to the world and totally changed the car industry, as well as the world. What’s so revolutionary about the Model T? Well, mass production meant that the Model T could be sold at a low price and marketed to the average man as opposed to the very wealthy. The imprint of the Model T can be seen across the country today, spurring the construction of highways and roadways as more and more people purchased cars.
The personal computer
It is now commonplace to walk into any Starbucks and see café occupants typing away on their own personal laptops. At one point, the idea of a personal computer seemed like a complete fantasy, as early computers were in no way personal—they were enormous hulking machines that frequently took up the space of an entire room. The game changed when an engineer at Intel developed a microprocessor. This facilitated a huge design breakthrough: computers could be designed to be much more compact. Bill Gates eventually formed Microsoft in the 1980s, and the first mass personal computer was put on the market.
Pivot International is a product design, development, and manufacturing firm with strengths in software development, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, and industrial design. If you are interested in engineering a new product or updating an existing product, contact us at 1-877-206-5001 or request your free consultation today.
Logo Design Considerations – How to Develop a Perfect Logo
When it comes to the product design and development process, giving your brand or product a logo is one of the most important choices you will make. What, exactly, is an effective logo? A logo should instantaneously identify your brand to consumers.
Important Considerations for Logo Design
Most consumers will immediately associate a large, golden “M” with McDonald’s—even if the company’s name isn’t anywhere in sight. Furthermore, an effective logo design should coalesce with your brand’s personality, and should also invoke the values and traits that your brand stands for. For example, consumers across the world associate Starbuck’s green mermaid logo with warmth and comfort, while they associate the Nike swoosh with power, speed, and strength. The bottom line? A good logo is unique, recognizable, and versatile, designed to withstand the test of time. Check out these three great tips for highly effective logo design.
Classic Logo Design Fundamentals apply
Your logo must withstand the test of time. Some of the world’s most iconic logos have been around for close to a century now (i.e. Coca-Cola, Chanel, Nike). The risk of choosing a trendy design is that it will quickly go out of style. You don’t want to have to change your logo every few years to ensure it is compatible with the latest aesthetic trends and design styles, which defeats the very purpose.
Unique Logo Designs Stand Out
You want your logo to reflect your brand, but don’t take this too literally. “The Mercedes logo isn’t a car. The Virgin Atlantic logo isn’t an airplane. The Apple logo isn’t a computer,” explains graphic designer and Logo Design Love founder David Airey. The goal is to do something unique and innovative, not just throw a generic industry logo down on the page. Remember, your logo is all about conveying your brand personality, so be sure to take this into consideration when designing a logo. Is your brand quirky? Elegant? Adventurous? Whatever it is you’re going for, leverage your brand’s unique attributes in logo design.
Your logo will likely be appearing on a range of different mediums, so versatility is key. You want your logo to look good wherever it happens to appear. You also want your logo to be able to sustain small tweaks and changes without totally losing its easily recognizable status—that’s the key to eventually reaching icon status.
Pivot International is a product design, development, and manufacturing firm with strengths in software development, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, and industrial design. If you are interested in engineering a new product or updating an existing product, contact us at 1-877-206-5001 or request your free consultation today.
4 Ways to Manage Time During Product Development
Time management is no easy feat, especially when you’re trying to design a product and have a successful product launch. It may seem like you have 567 things going on, all of which demand your immediate and simultaneous attention.
Time Management and Productivity Tips
To make things a bit easier, check out these four time management tips.
Make a list
It might sound old-fashioned, but a to-do list is a great idea and can most definitely help you with managing your time more effectively. The trick is to divide your tasks according to priority, labeling them “important and urgent,” “important but not urgent,” “not important but urgent,” or “not important and not urgent.” This not only helps you to clearly visualize what is a priority, but it also helps you discern which task you should complete first.
Set goals
Once you have a to-do list ready to go, set goals. Establish three things you want to accomplish each and every day. You may not complete every goal every single day, but that’s okay. The key is to keep the project moving forward.
Take a couple minutes of personal time after lunch
Lunch marks the halfway point of the workday. Once you have finished eating, it’s a wise idea to take a quick ten minutes to refocus your day. Evaluate what kind of progress you have made, and what you still have left to do. It can help to maximize the time you have available, and ensure that none of it gets wasted. “Get away from your computer, turn it off, go sit in a conference room and determine what you have on tap for the rest of the day,” explains Jame Reinhart, co-founder of thredUp.com and a time management and productivity expert. “You’ll find that these 15 minutes help you identify how you got derailed, what’s causing you distractions and help you to rediscover a rhythm to be productive all day long.” When we have a lot to do we are often tempted to skip breaks. But in the long run, that will actually just hurt your time management strategy. You need downtime in order to refocus and reprioritize.
Use technology to your advantage
There are lots of great apps out there that can help you effectively manage your time. From Internet blockers such as TimeOut that can be used to block distractions, to tools like Asana that can facilitate more effective teamwork, there are an infinite array of tools out there to help you use your time more effectively. Don’t hesitate to use them!
Pivot International is a product design, development, and manufacturing firm with extensive experience in the medtech industry. If you are interested in engineering a new product or updating an existing product, contact us at 1-877-206-5001 or request your free consultation today.
What Color Works Best as Your Product’s Package?
Believe it or not, choosing a package color is one of the most important choices you’ll have to make during the product development process. Your choice of color can help to differentiate your product from others on the market, and it can also help make it stand out on the shelf.
Best Product Packaging Color 2017
In today’s world of hyper-consumerism, impulse purchases make up roughly 75 percent of all consumer purchases. Consumers make these kinds of choices quickly — typically in 20 seconds or less, so your product needs to stand out. The more attractive your packaging is, the more likely it is to grab a consumer’s attention, and the more likely it is that that consumer will purchase it on a whim.
“A color palette, distinctive graphics and brand identity work synergistically and can eventually become iconic if consistently maintained,” explains Ted Mininni, the creative director and president of Design Force Inc. “Imagine seeing a soft drink can in signature red with a white swirl, missing its brand mark: ‘Coca Cola.’ Would people still recognize the product and immediately call the brand to mind? Surely … many brands are instantly recognized because of their signature colors.” The bottom line is that colors truly can define a brand and a product. Cadbury’s purple is so distinctive and recognizable that the brand sought to trademark it at one point, while the Kraft Macaroni and Cheese yellow and blue box is iconic to virtually an entire generation.
However, choosing colors appropriately goes well beyond just aesthetic appeal. There a number of different factors you must take into consideration when choosing package colors. First and foremost, you need to consider any kinds of cultural associations that certain colors have, as well as any kind of associations with characteristics or emotions. So, which are the best packaging colors for your product? Consider these suggestions.
Best Packaging Colors
- Earth tones work best for organic and natural products. It doesn’t make much sense to package your organic rice milk in a hot pink carton. Not surprisingly, consumers tend to associate words such as “organic” and “natural” with earth tones in soft greens and rich browns.
- Use bright, primary colors for products geared toward children. Yellows, blues, and reds are excellent choices when it comes to children’s products because you want something that will attract their attention.
Gold and silver evoke luxury. If you are trying to sell a luxury product, throw in a bit of gold or silver — even if it is only an accent color. Consumers will immediately associate it with luxury. - For an edgy look, use black as a base with a bright color. Looking to give your brand a sharp, edgy look? Try a sleek, black base with a bright accent color, such as neon yellow or a lime green.
However, do keep in mind that these are just suggestions. The best colors for your product will ultimately depend on your unique product and target market.
Pivot International is a product design, development, and manufacturing firm with extensive experience in the medtech industry. If you are interested in engineering a new product or updating an existing product, contact us at 1-877-206-5001 or request your free consultation today.
What is Green Product Packaging? – Importance and Impact
In 2007 the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimated that 250 million tons of municipal solid waste was generated, but only one-third of that waste was recycled while the rest made its way into landfills. The bottom line is that product packaging is a major source of waste.
How to Reduce Product Packaging Waste
The EPA estimates that paper packaging alone generated 1.5 million tons of waste, while plastic packaging generated a staggering 13 million tons. Reducing product packaging is an excellent way for your company to help mitigate this dangerous problem.
As an added bonus, advertising your product packaging as “green” or “eco-friendly” is bound to catch your target customer’s eye. These days, consumers are eager to make eco-friendly choices and are more apt to purchase products seen as “green.” Take a look at KFC. The company recently announced that it would be transitioning to 100 percent sustainable packaging material (though this claim has been disputed by Green Peace) and subsequently saw an increase in sales. Ultimately, green product packaging design is good for the earth and good for your bottom line. To ensure your product packaging won’t end up in a landfill once your product has been unpacked, take a look at these tips and tricks.
Use biodegradable or recyclable materials
Whenever possible, opt for materials that are biodegradable and recyclable. Typically, anything plastic is not a good option, as it could take hundreds, potentially even thousands, of years to biodegrade. In contrast, cardboard is reusable, recyclable, and biodegradable. Cornstarch is also an excellent option. Materials made from cornstarch are an excellent option for food packaging, as well as for packaging “peanuts.”
Ditch the plastic bags
If your company offers plastic bags to your consumers, stop now. Plastic bags are one of the worst items for the environment. They can clog drains and contribute to plumbing, kill wildlife, and create unsightly litter. Instead, offer quality, reusable bags made from recyclable materials for sale.
Choose an eco-friendly delivery service
Once you have your product ready to go in eco-friendly packaging, choose an eco-friendly delivery service to get your product to your customer. For example, UPS has activated a fleet of hybrid trucks and is constantly working to improve the efficiency of its routes and develop new, greener technologies.
Pivot International is a product design, development, and manufacturing firm with extensive experience in the medtech industry. If you are interested in engineering a new product or updating an existing product, contact us at 1-877-206-5001 or request your free consultation today.
How to Find the Right Product Idea
The following is an excerpt from our new ebook, From Concept to Product Launch: a Guide to Product Development. To download the full guide, click here.
How to come up with a good Product Idea
Many hopeful inventors gloss over this stage because they “just know” that their product idea is the next iPod or paperclip. They assume that they naturally define the needs, loves and desires of their target market. Unfortunately, with a sample size of only one, it’s just not a generalizable notion.
The truth is that if you fail to plan, you should plan to fail. Amazon.com, the fastest growing online retailer in the world and number 49 in the Fortune 500, has an inspiring value called “customer obsession.” The long and short of it is that the company as a whole aims to “start with the customer and work backwards.” It should come as no surprise that Amazon is doing so well in its market. Don’t put the cart before the horse on your invention. Is your idea really fixing a problem? Improving someone’s life? Making some sort of task easier?
In this first market research
stage, don’t be afraid to reach out and crowdsource information. Do some market analysis, administer a survey, and try your best to assess if your competitors’ marked differences are actually shortcomings you can build from or just differentiating characteristics. When surveying, don’t be too direct. It’s already time to start thinking about your brand and marketing message. If drilling down into the psyche of your target market, don’t ask a question like, “On a scale from 1 to 10, how willing would you be to buy…”
You need to take off the inventor hat and put on the marketing one first. People purchase on emotion, primal desire and impulse. Think about the benefits you’re offering, and how a certain feeling can be impregnated in your customers via your invention. Sell them peace of mind, not a product.
This isn’t to say that you have to create something completely novel and unheard of to be successful. Innovation is based on development, which can range anywhere from the “next big thing” to “new and improved.”
