Check out the new CMF phase and help us determine the best possible colors, materials, and finishes for the HydraDuo.

The other design directions are still under consideration, and we’d really like the community to keep an open mind. To give everyone insight into why QDS went in a different direction, here’s a recap of this product’s design process:

QDS began by experimenting with a wide range of geometric tessellating patterns to expand upon Louis’ submission.

During market research and shape exploration, we found many existing trivets using tessellation designs.

That got us thinking. Was there something more unique that hadn’t been done before?

As QDS went through the Concept submissions from community members, they paid special attention to the potential of different shapes and materials for simplicity, ease of use, and user interaction. The approach described in Trivet Sticks, submitted by a community member, was chosen because it brought up a new way of achieving the results described by Louis. That concept led to the designs within the initial Refine Phase sketches. Even though the form had changed, those designs remained true to the original intent: the ability to reconfigure a trivet in new, exciting ways.

It’s clear from the community feedback that you think we just abandoned the original submission. So, we’re going back and making sure we preserve all the strong elements of the original design. The additional Refine Phase sketches (to be posted over the next few days) will focus on getting the best out of both winning concepts. When going through, tell us what you respond to in each option. We’re eager to create the best damn trivets in the world with your input!

Here’s what this week’s brainstorm looks like (click images to enlarge):

Product 165: Folding Bike Basket

Product 166: Attachable Scrub Brush

The entire brainstorm is embedded below in two parts:

From 12:00 – (approx.) 12:45, the Quirky Community, will have the opportunity to participate in this week’s brainstorm through our Quirky Design Staff + Quirky Community Brainstorm Livestream channel on Ustream.

This week’s topics are:

1) A folding bike basket

2) A scrub brush that attaches to cleaning cloths

To get the most community participation, we’re going to start it right here, in the comments of this blog post. Think about all of the different aspects that go into mindmapping, i.e. exploring all opportunities in terms of design, market, end user, user scenarios, modes/habits, current/future trends in biking or cleaning, materials etc. Start throwing out ideas and remember, this is a brainstorm so anything goes.

As we explored a number of different directions submitted in the concept round, we were inspired by Jason Hennessy’s idea of having an ambidextrous, one size fits all hand mitt with soft and hard bristles. We found that having both allows for a more thorough cleaning. Through our research and testing, we also found that the workflow that Dave Fulton described in his submission was the more natural and easier way to wash a dog.

The design we’re proceeding with is composed of two units, a pre-wash dry brush for removing dead hair and stimulating skin, and a silicone hand mitt for the bathing.

Here are a few more reasons for the change:

• The soap dispensing feature adds an unnecessary step in the washing work flow. 
• Soap volume will not be enough for a wide range of dog sizes
• Professional groomers usually use their hands when bathing a dog (support for the silicone hand mitt) for a more intimate/calming experience for the dog.
• Groomers recommend to pre-brush your pet before washing to remove any dead hair and to stimulate blood flow. 
• The two units in the chosen design fit together for practical storage.

Here’s the design we’re working with:

Feel free to participate in the (just launched) CMF phase for this product, right here!

Here’s the deal.

A retail partner came to us asking us to make a specific product. Since there won’t be an evaluation phase, the 50% influence that’s normally divvied up during evaluation is going to be split up amongst the various design phases.

Here’s what you need to know.

The  product they’re looking for is an iPad stand that can fit in a cupholder. Don’t just think about cars here, there’s other things with cupholders like treadmills and movie theater seats (although that would be pretty obnoxious).

We’re going from sketch to store in one week on this one. Each phase is going to only last around a day, so make sure to check back frequently and participate as much as possible.

So what exactly goes into the DMV scores? Here’s a list of the questions we consider, right from the people who consider them.

DESIGN SCORE (10) Gaz, Brian, Jordan, and the QDS

- Does the submission solve a problem? How “important” a problem does it solve? How many people are affected by this problem?

- Does the submission propose a strong solution? Or is it just “feature creep” (combining more and more features to give the impression of improved problem solving)? Usually there is a tipping point where the increased feature set inhibits the product’s ability to solve the original problem.

- Is it unique to the market? Does it have “wow factor”?

- Will the finished product be innovative? Does it explore the “adjacent possible”? In other words, does it push the culture of objects forward by combining/transferring wide-reaching ideas, thought, materials, etc. to reach new and interesting outcomes? To read about “adjacent possible” and other innovation-related themes, get a copy of Steven Johnson’s Where Good Ideas Come From, it’s frickin’ fantastic.

- How interesting is it going to be for the community to work on? How many opportunities will there be to explore?

- Could the finished product potentially win design awards?

MARKET SCORE (10) Chad, Matt, and Garret

Marketability

- Is it easy to demonstrate and explain?

- What is the immediate impact of the idea on customers (“wow factor”)?

- Is it a must-have? Would you see it and want to buy it then and there?

- Is the solution still relevant?

- Would you tell your friends about it?

Market Size

- Does it solve a common problem? Does the solution appeal to lots of people across several demographics?

- If it’s a very targeted product, does a scalable business opportunity exist?

- Is it unique?

Competitive Edge

- What is the competitive landscape?

- How unique are the features to the marketplace?

- Is the Viability team price point competitive?

Fit with Sales Channels

- Does it have U.S. mass retail potential?

- Does the product work abroad and can it sell through channels internationally?

- Does the product appeal to our site visitors?

Fit with Product Mix

- Does it complement existing products?

- Does it directly compete with existing products?

Shelf Talk

- How many SKUs? How many colors?

- Can it be easily described on the packaging?

- Where would it sit on a retail floor/shelf?

- Will it grab your attention or will it just get lost?

- Would it be promotion worthy?

VIABILITY SCORE (10) John, Nikki, Paul in Hong Kong, and The Suits (lawyers)

Manufacture-ability

- Can we make this product?

- Do we have existing suppliers who can make it?

- If we do not have existing suppliers, how hard do we think it will be to find the right supplier?

- Will we be able to make this with consistent quality and function over time?

Costs

- What do products with similar functions retail for?

- Given the competitive landscape, will we be able to make this product stand out on a cost-competitive basis?

- How much space at retail will the product require?

- Are there special shipping considerations? (heavy, large space, etc.)

Legal

- Are there certain regulations that we will need to follow? UL listings?

- What does the patent landscape look like?

- What is our patent infringement risk? Is this too similar to an existing product/patent?

- What is the likelihood that we will be able to get patent protection for this product?

One final note: While these questions can help you get a sense of your idea’s potential on Quirky, don’t let them discourage you from submitting an idea that doesn’t have a positive answer to every question. We ask these questions to make sure that we can responsibly bring an idea to life. Innovation can come from surprising places, so we promise to stay open-minded!

The design for Quirky’s new wine accessory is moving forward! ID-Phase 1 was great inspiration for QDS, especially David Yakos’ winning submission. We liked the idea of containing common wine tools within the wine opener, as basically a wine tool kit. The key for this design is not to overload the wine opener with a bunch of features. We have to find a balance between beauty and function, while maintaining elegance. There are some great opportunities for this design.

We then wanted to find out what our community members thought about specific wine mechanisms and which wine tools to include in the design, so we posted a brief Questionnaire. There was a wide range of feedback, mostly focusing on putting out a “simple, clean, efficient design” (as Spencer Daly put it). We’re keeping this in mind for the mechanism, as well as how the wine tools are incorporated.

With all this amazing input from the Quirky community, we’ve settled on our design direction. Based off your input, we came to the conclusion of incorporating two commonly used wine tools — the pourer and bottle cap — into the opener. And to make opening as easy as possible, we will be using the ”keep on twisting” wine opener method, which requires only one moving part to uncork the wine bottle.

At this point, we all need to figure a name for, as our brief partner Gary Vaynerchuk puts it, “the greatest accessory the wine world has ever seen”. We will post up the name phase soon, so stay tuned.

The Concept Phase for the Farmer’s Market bag was launched with several submissions which deviated from the winning product idea. Here’s what happened and how we’re correcting it.

The Quirky team has been thin on the ground due to the holidays, and things can slip through the net. I was in the middle of a lake floating around with the wife and mother-in-law when I caught wind of this issue.

With a lot of the brief-based evals, we are developing an already well-defined idea from the get-go (as is the case with the winning idea, Peter’s ‘Orange Bag’). The Quirky Design Staff posted ideas that explore concepts outside the scope of the picked eval winner. The Quirky team is made up of very talented and honest people, from interns up to seniors. We all put 100% into our work and respecting the process. No malicious intent or ‘stealing’.

Here are our action steps for correcting this issue asap over the next couple of days: 
1) Removing QDS concepts from the round that redundantly stray outside design scope; 
2) Ensure votes used on these concepts are returned for fresh distribution; 
3) Blog post to confirm this to the wider community audience; 
4) Confirm with the community that the matter has been cleared-up satisfactorily.

We appreciate your participation and feedback at every step of the way. 2011 is going to be a huuuuge year for Quirky, and we need you all calling us out on our actions and process to make this work. We need you here for the good, the bad and the ugly! Thank you for your understanding.

Update: As promised, here is confirmation that we have removed the QDS concepts in question, and all community votes have been returned to their rightful users. We have also extended the Farmers Market Concept Phase to 5pm Thursday so that everyone has a change to use their votes. So jump in there and let us know your faves!

•power

•sound

•phone

It will incorporate a charging base for a wireless speaker module, and will also facilitate charging your phone, all in one discreet unit. One huge discussion point has been whether we should continue to tie ourselves to having the entire product mounted at the outlet, or whether it should be a charging base that the consumer can place somewhere more convenient and accessible. We have decided the latter is a stronger direction.

We have listened to your concerns about sound quality and are going to do everything possible to make sure this is a high quality unit worthy of the Quirky brand. So far it is looking like it will become a wonderfully iconic piece of consumer electronics… stay tuned!