After the live brainstorm last Wednesday, QDS intern Michael transcribed the mind maps co-created by QDS and the Quirky Community.
Here’s what this week’s brainstorm looks like (click images to enlarge):
Product 141: Baby Changing Pad
Product 156: Extension Power Cord
Product 163: Expandable Broom
The entire brainstorm is embedded below (in three parts).
Hey Quirks, we will not be able to proceed with the name “Snowdozer” for Product 72. I wish we could share a full explanation, but have been advised not to.
Influence for the previously chosen name will be taken away from the submitter and voters of that name. I will be contacting those people personally.
A new name will be selected and awarded within the existing naming project. The product page will be updated accordingly.
We couldn’t help but feel left out of all of the positive community feedback that Netflix got when they changed their terms & conditions…. we were all like- ”We want in on that action”
Kidding, of course.
Because of the delicate nature of our business as it relates to intellectual property, etc… we at Quirky take changes to our T & C’s very seriously. We try to revisit them as infrequently as possible, and when we do make changes, we try to make them as infrequently as possible.
I’m going to walk you through the changes that we will be making this week. Please note your account will be logged out this weekend, and you’ll be asked to log back in / re-accept our new and improved terms & conditions (blame the suits).
You can see a redlined version of each and every change by clicking here, and I’ve provided explanations below
Ok, here we go- Effective August 1st 2011:
1. Users now have the right to withdraw idea submissions at anytime prior to selection (for any reason).
Inventors have requested this for a fair amount of time, and we see no reason why inventors shouldn’t retain this right.
2. Fixing typo that illustrated that the inventor got exactly 40% on idea submissions.
While most of our math is very close (within a few fractions of a %), with briefs and co-branded opportunities on the horizon, we now wish to address this on a project by project basis.
We will be up front about the potential influence of the inventors at the start of each submission period.
As always influence allocations are at Quirky’s full discretion, but in most cases inventors wind up with 35-40% depending on many factors.
3. Clarification of payment issuance process and treatment of payments to users who have passed away. We are treating your work on Quirky as a perpetual thing. As long as a family member claims your account in a reasonable amount of time, your work (and earning potential) will survive your account.
Very user friendly change which will protect the property you worked so hard to earn.
4. Implementation of the IP revert process announced during the last town meeting. This will affect all pre-sale products that have not hit threshold within 9 months.
Again, very inventor friendly. You’ll see more information & an implementation of this in the coming weeks.
5. Clarification that each user’s right to use another user’s submissions is limited to use in connection with the process that exists within the Quirky platform.
While we like it when people download other users’ submissions and tweak/refine/repost for the betterment of our products- we do not want you to represent other ideas as your own outside of the Quirky platform.
6. Restriction on reselling pre-sale purchases for less then the price offered at quirky.com at the time of the re-sale (otherwise you risk losing your influence). Also, there is further clarification that bulk pre-sale orders will be subjected to additional terms & conditions.
Shorting the pricing that we advertise on Quirky has HUGE detriment on Quirky’s ability to make the most of your product within the retail channel. Retailers are very price conscious and MUST see that Quirky has full control over pricing. This will protect the inventor and community’s chance for success.
7. Additional / Expanded instructions for submitting copyright infringement notices with accordance to the DMCA.
Lawyer crap.
8. Explanation of Quirky’s 90 day return policy.
Self explanatory. Very customer friendly: we stand by our products.
9. Change of governing law from Delaware to NY.
Who likes Delaware anyway? Kidding of course, we love Delaware. We just aren’t as familiar with Delaware law, and it’s not our primary place of business.
10. Excluding from mandatory arbitration, actions seeking injunctive relief against IP infringement and violations of the user conduct rules.
Mega lawyer crap, that hopefully no one will ever have to worry about.
11. Clarifying allocation of costs and fees arising from arbitration, and the restriction on class actions.
Super Mega Plus lawyer crap, that again, hopefully no one will ever have to worry about.
12. Miscellaneous additional clarifying edits and correction of typos
Because we’re hooked on phonics.
In need of a bathroom attendant? Tandem is an expandable towel rack that opens up to three towel bars to accommodate guests, and slides smoothly back into one or two bars to save space. The wall mounted bars glide like drawers, making it simple to use. Now that’s a towel rack that truly extends itself!
Charles Bailey submitted an idea for a towel rack that could transform according to your needs. Over 687 people came together to help make that a reality. Tandem is now available in the Quirky shop for $47.99 presale ($59.99 retail) with a threshold of 1000 commitments.
Features:
Dimensions:
QDS is always thrilled when we can work with a beautifully flushed out idea like Jay Hyun Kim’s Retractable Whisk submission. No matter how complete an idea may seem, we dive into testing scenarios and existing products related to that idea. We tested many different whisks on the market (Open Ended, Balloon, French, Flat, Double the Balloon, Collapsible) in many different scenarios such as fluffing egg whites, making whipped cream, mixing pancake batter, and even making butter!
We found that nothing works quite as well as the traditional Balloon Whisk; it contours to the edge and gets into the dips of the bowl. When whisking egg whites or making whipped cream, we were surprised that the Double Balloon Whisk (the one that looks like an inverted balloon) worked the fastest. The increased number of prongs that divided up the “dead space” in the whisk allowed for more air to enter. With this research we started sketching and launched Concept Phase.
We received a lot of great feedback during Concept Phase and turned some of your suggestions into mock ups that we then tested. After testing these in the same scenarios as the previous whisks, we found a true winner in the Flexible Tip Whisk with connected ends. Now, we’re engineering this design to be easy to clean and will retract smoothly. In the meantime, check out the CMF Phase to vote on what material direction you think Quirky should take!
The last 24 hours have been amongst the most intense since we’ve started this company.
As you know, Quirky works VERY hard to secure formidable retail partners. We have a high bar for partners, and in turn, they set a high bar for Quirky & our community.
One of our newest partners, Radio Shack was due to debut the Pivot Power this week in their circular.
We found out yesterday that they were planning on undercutting the entire retail marketplace by 25%, while ignoring the entire story of Jake and what quirky represents as a business.
In the consumer products industry there are all sorts of mechanisms meant to avoid situations like this. Things like ‘MAP’ (minimum advertised price)- and well, good old fashioned communication usually does the trick.
Unfortunately, our friends at RadioShack have already printed the ad, and you’ll find it in your Sunday newspapers.
While a lower price on Pivot Power sounds fantastic, the enormous impact of one retailer undercutting the entire retail marketplace is huge. All of our other partners have plans for each product that goes out several months, and those plans are valued at multiple millions of dollars.
As such, we have sent a strong message to Radio Shack. We will not be selling them product in the foreseeable future, and we will not continue to fulfill their current orders.
Their blatant dismissal of the uniqueness of Quirky, and the importance of our story (and our policies) does not give us the confidence we need to let them continue as one of our partners.
While this represents a large financial loss to Quirky, and the community- I can assure you that this was the right decision for the long term health of our brand, and our inventors. It’s important that we build stable, healthy relationships with a foundation deeply rooted in the creativity of the people of the world. Our retail partners should be working with us to make the people of the world successful, not against us.
The fall out of RadioShack’s actions will continue in the coming weeks as we need to work with our other partners to match prices, feel comfortable, etc. I will keep you posted along the way.
The consumer product industry is a fun one to navigate. Luckily, we have your best interests at heart. This team will continue to do what we need to do to make invention accessible- and to set our inventors up for the maximum amount of success.
So you found Quirky and you want to know how to earn influence. That’s great! Here’s a quick and easy guide to get you up to speed.
First, let’s make sure you know what influence means. Influence is our way of calculating the amount of royalties that each person gets for his/her role in developing a product. For as long as we’re making and selling a product, influencers of that product are getting a share of the revenue.
Now that you know what influence is, let’s break down how it translates into cold, hard cashola. Quirky reserves a portion of all product sales for the community: 30% of direct sales and 10% of indirect sales. Think of that reserved portion as the community “pot”. When you earn influence in a product, it means you’re entitled to part of that reserved portion. Or, if you’re picturing the community “pot,” how much delicious money soup goes to you.
Don’t get too bogged down in the percentage numbers. It’s what they’re applied to that matters. 1% of a million dollars is still a hefty chunka change! As Quirky grows, our distribution channels will grow too. If you have influence in a product, you will be earning royalties for as long as we’re selling that product. So we’re in it together for the long run.
Now for the fun part. You can jump in, help develop products, and accumulate influence in your own Quirky account. Here’s a breakdown of how to do that.
1. Submit a product idea.
If Quirky chooses it for development, you will be awarded a large chunk of influence, generally 35% or more. We’re focused on consumer products that would retail for $150 or less and do not require any integrated software or programming. Wondering how to make the most of your submissions? Visit our Learn section and click on the Best Practices tab for tips.
2. Vote for ideas you love.
Voting in Eval: If Quirky marks an idea you voted for as “under consideration,” you will be awarded influence. You have unlimited votes, but be aware that you will gain less influence if you voted for a huge number of submissions in the past 7 days. Treat voting like you’re shopping on a budget instead of going on a shopping spree. Would you really buy the product described?
Voting in a development project: If Quirky chooses a concept, design, name, tagline, etc. that you voted for, you will gain influence. You are helping us decide the best way to design that product!
3. Rate product ideas that are “under consideration”.
If you rate all four criteria (uniqueness, usefulness, wow factor, likeliness to purchase) for 75% or more of the ideas in a round, you will earn influence for that round. On our scale, 1 star = least and 5 stars = most.
4. Participate in surveys.
If you answer 75% or more of the questions in a research survey, you will earn influence for that product. Occasionally, the design team will post ethnographic surveys, where they ask you to post a picture or video of something. If you follow instructions, you will earn influence.
5. Submit designs, names, and taglines in development projects.
If Quirky chooses your idea as a winner, you will be awarded with influence for that product. Each product is different, so pay attention to instructions at the top of each project. That’ll give you a better chance of success.
6. Commit to products in presales.
We will email you to come back and complete your order when we’re ready to ship that product. If you complete your order before the presale cutoff (generally 2 weeks after we’ve emailed, we would include that info in the email), you will earn influence for every presale unit that you purchase.
Ben will be hopping on Quirky’s uStream channel tonight (Wednesday) at 5:30pm ET for a live Q&A session. Gaz is out of the office this week, but we’ll see if we can wrangle someone else from QDS to speak to your design related questions. Now’s your chance to ask all the questions you’ve been dying to have answered… and if you know Ben, you know that everything’s fair game.
If you’ve got questions you want answered, add them to the comments on this blog post.
To recap:
What: Ben answering all your deepest, darkest questions
When: Tonight, 5:30pm ET
Where: Quirky’s uStream channel
See you then!
Eval recaps sum up the research and discussion that go into selecting winning submissions at Quirky. The info in recaps focuses on general landscape, opportunities and concerns, with a strong bias for Quirky’s business interests. We will not tell people what to do with their ideas if we do not choose it, but this info should give general guidance to submitters and other inventors who want to understand our decision-making process.
Although there were some promising submissions in this round, none quite hit the sweet spot of solving a big enough problem, could realistically be manufactured at a price point that we’d need to sell at, and/or fit current distribution channels. We encourage inventors in this round to give their submissions a little tough love, run it through DMV (even if they were not in the staff eval this week), to determine if there is potential for future success with this idea, on Quirky or elsewhere.
EVAL 155
Inventor: Susan Reed
Submitted: Modular Laundry Station
Community: 36
D: 3
M: 5
V: 5
Staff: 0
Total: 49
Design was concerned over the bulkiness of the product and felt that this product seems more useful in theory than it would be in reality as flat surfaces are readily available in the home. Market thought it was conceptually interesting but was unsure that the vision of it working in small spaces could be realized. Viability felt that we could easily source materials and manufacture this product, but engineering to keep it stable would be a challenge, and shipping would be very costly because of the size of the product. There is a similar, existing patent (5967342) but it could likely be designed around.
Inventor: Alisa Shamrow
Submission: Transparent Painting Film
Community: 21
D: 5
M: 5
V: 7
Staff: 0
Total: 38
Design felt that this product was very fun and might help solve the problem of kids coloring on walls, but it might also confuse kids about which walls they can and cannot draw on. They felt this was very off brand for Quirky. Market felt this was a fun item but the space is already relatively crowded and a fairly small market. This is a category that we aren’t vested in, and it wouldn’t be a product that would open up new retail opportunities for us. Viability noted that we don’t currently have a vendor for this type of product, but it would be relatively straightforward to manufacture once we found one. Engineering would have to determine the ideal stickiness. No direct patents exist, but it might not be patentable without further innovation.
Inventor: Mitch Jaffe
Submission: Modular Drink Storage System
Community: 30
D: 3
M: 4
V: 7
Staff: 0
Total: 44
Design felt that this submission wasn’t very unique as there are many similar solutions that exist on the market. Market wondered what made this idea an innovative solution. They also felt that this could overlap with the fridge suction system. Viability felt that the tooling of simple shapes would be relatively inexpensive but there would be an engineering challenge in trying to reduce production costs while maintaining the sturdiness of the product. There are many patents in that field so the submission might not be patentable as such.
Inventor: Martin Gutting
Submission: Dual Brush Utensil Cleaner
Community: 17
D: 4
M: 5
V: 7
Staff: 0
Total: 33
Design felt that this product might be useful, but would likely get very grimy very quickly and would have to be cleaned too frequently to be beneficial. Market felt this was a potential extension to Ripple and felt that it could be marketed as an improved cleaning and dishwashing device, but only if the idea submitted was evolved significantly. Viability felt that it would not be difficult to find a supplier. Some assembly would be required but there was no real engineering challenge. Patents for similar devices exist but protection might be available for a non-obvious design approach.
Inventor: Darrell Booker
Submission: Ergonomic Tablet Holder
Community: 16
D: 2
M: 3
V: 8
Staff: 0
Total: 29
Design was skeptical of the actual ergonomics of this product as submitted but thought that it might be a good product for kids. Market also challenged the ergonomics of this product. They noted that there is an unquestionable consumer demand for tablet cases but felt that this was a fairly niche product as most existing cases are small, sleek and consistent with the ‘on the go’ aspect of tablets. Viability didn’t see any manufacturing challenges and felt that patent protection would possibly be available.
Inventor: Fred Ende
Submission: 3 in 1 Pasta Tool
Community: 5
D: 4
M: 4
V: 7
Staff: 0
Total: 20
Design wasn’t convinced that this tool, as submitted, would be any better than using three separate tools. They did however feel that an elegantly designed pasta tool would be a nice companion for Stake. Market felt that the product seemed weighted down with too much functionality, and might actually be more difficult to use than existing pasta tools. Viability noted that we have suppliers for this type of product. They felt that there would likely be many parts to assemble, but they could be designed to snap together. The engineering challenges would be around material selection and cost reduction. Patent protection might be available for an innovative design.
Inventor: Kathleen Skelton
Submission: Easy Duvet Cover
Community: 3
D: 5
M: 4
V: 6
Staff: 0
Total: 18
Design felt that this was a problem that many people could relate to, and that it would be challenging to create a universally appealing duvet cover. Market felt that there was potential for a large market but that it was segmented because of the variety of styles for duvets. Textiles and fashion items are off brand for Quirky, and many shoppers choose duvets based on brand, thread count, and style. We were unclear if this would be a significant enough innovation to overcome this challenge. Viability noted that we don’t currently have a soft goods/fabric vendor. The product would need to be constantly revised to keep up with trends in home fashion. There might be regulatory approval needed for bedding. Some patents exist for dual-opening covers, but none for tri-opening covers.
EVAL 156
Inventor: Warren Yan
Selected: Expandable Broom
Community: 29
D: 4
M: 5
V: 7
Staff: 7
Total: 52
Design felt that this product bridges the gap between quick cleaning and deeper cleaning. They were unsure if the added functionality would really help with much more than cleaning corners. Market felt that this product fit within our current retail channels. If it could be manufactured and sold at the right price point and provide a good experience in both functions, this could build on our line of household cleaning products. Viability said that we were well-equipped to find a vendor that specializes in brooms and cleaning tools. The engineering challenge will be focused on the collapsible aspect. An existing patent (7000281) covers this design conceptually, but the implementation is different. Patent protection might be available for an innovative approach.
Inventor: Kate Vallon
Selected: Extended Power Strip
Community: 28
D: 6
M: 8
V: 1
Staff: 9
Total: 52
Design liked the fact that this product repurposes a traditionally outdoor product for use within the home. They welcomed the challenge to explore this solution and expand our consumer electronics offerings. Since consumer electronics is our strongest category, Market felt this would be a great fit to keep the momentum in this area going. Viability noted that we’d need an extension cord supplier, and that a specialized vendor might keep costs down for lots of electrical assembly. The engineering challenge is electrical, so it would be in the hands of the OEM. This product would require ETL certification. This concept is heavily patented (5234360, 5236374, 5238424, 5902148, 7210960), but after discussion, Design felt confident in their ability to design around them.
Inventor: John Jacobsen
Selected: Broom Stopper Device
Community: 13
D: 7
M: 7
V: 8
Staff: 14
Total: 49
Design felt that this was a good accessory for our growing line of ‘stick goods’ (cleaning products like sweepers and brooms that have a stick). Market also felt it was an interesting add-on item to our current product line, and that there was potential for high margins. Viability felt that there would be no problems with manufacturing or tooling. There is patent expiring in August that is relevant (5165143) which may require design around or affect the product release timing.
Inventor: Sally Rumble
Selected: Underwireless Bra
Community: 10
D: 5
M: 7
V: 7
Staff: 0
Total: 29
Design felt that this was a good innovation on a fairly archaic design, which solved a problem that many women can related to. Market felt that although we don’t currently have distribution for lingerie, if this approach works, it has the potential to be a breakthrough product in the industry, which could either stand as its own line, or be licensed out to lingerie companies. Viability noted that there’s no obvious sourcing partner for us to use for this product.
The rest of the field
Inventor: Kate Vallon
Submission: Chopping Knife with Palm Rest
Community: 37
D: 4
M: 4
V: 6
Staff: 0
Total: 51
Design felt that this only solves a small problem and that it might not fit well into existing food preparation workflows. They were also concerned that this product would actually encourage bad chopping technique. Market agreed and felt that we shouldn’t make products that enforce bad habits. Viability noted that we would need to find a knife vendor, and that it would be an engineering challenge to ensure that the palm rest is secure, whether as a knife or just an attachment. FDA approval would be needed as well. As submitted, no patent protection would be available.
Inventor: Ben Haulenbeek
Submission: Overhead Rafter Storage
Community: 35
D: 5
M: 3
V: 5
Staff: 0
Total: 48
Design thought that this was a great way of turning empty space into accessible storage, but it would be difficult to make it universal and easy to install. Market felt that the need for installation and specificity of using it only in a home with rafters significantly reduces the size of the target market. Viability noted that we would need to find a vendor that could pass rigorous quality assurance since this product would be hung over people’s heads. They were concerned over the shipping size but thought there might a creative way to pack. Several patents for swing-down rafter mounted storage exist (5772295, 6357842, 6354682, 6550878, 5845979) but there might be narrow patent protection for an innovative approach.
Inventor: Faris Elmasu
Submission: Integrated Broom/Trash Bin
Community: 32
D: 5
M: 6
V: 7
Staff: 0
Total: 50
Design felt that this could be a good line extension for Broom Groomer. They would be interested in looking at the potential of adding a dustpan to the product so it would capture the full workflow of sweeping. Market felt it was a very unique item but it might be difficult to merchandise, which would create resistance to get it into new retail channels. Viability was concerned that it might be expensive to mold the can, and the size would create an issue for shipping from factories overseas. Patent protection might be available.
Inventor: Jovena Whatmoor
Submission: Salad Lunch Box
Community: 17
D: 5
M: 6
V: 7
Staff: 0
Total: 35
Design felt that this was an interesting innovation to existing products. They appreciated that it works well to promote healthier eating habits. Market felt that this could come in multiple SKUs. Since there are great design items on the market with higher price points, there could be room for margin. They also felt that it fits in with our existing bowls and eatery lineup, but it is a crowded retail space. Viability noted that we have suppliers for this product and that there would be minimal assembly required. The engineering challenge would be focused on strength of the product and cost reduction. FDA approval would be required. Patents exist that may require design around (6302268, 7591221). Several commercial products may constrain patentability.
We’re thrilled to introduce Sally Rumble, a product design veteran, as QDS’ Senior Industrial Designer.
Sally brings more than a decade of industrial design experience with world-class brands to Quirky’s design team. What drew her to Quirky was the notion of abandoning the ‘ivory tower’ where old design business models lie and jumping into the trenches to collaborate with the people.
Most recently, Sally was the Vice President of Product Design at BUILT NY, a Manhattan-based company that designs fashionable and functional totes, bags, and cases. She spent four years at Smart Design as an Industrial Designer, where she designed products for companies like OXO International, Hewlett Packard, Lego, Schick, Bic, and Tiffany’s.
Incredibly adaptable, Sally has lived in almost every neighborhood in NYC and prefers to watch the art unfold on the streets rather than pay to see it. When she’s not at work, she can be found wandering the streets of her beloved Brooklyn, singing in a gospel choir or in a local bar attempting to solve the worlds problems with friends. She holds a Bachelors of Industrial Design from the University of Canberra in Australia, and her latest focus is on collaborative consumption, design for social impact, and DIY lighting design.
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