ideareality.design, Author at Product Idea Design and Invention Development, Prototypes, 3D CAD, Patents

5 Weird But Wonderful Ideas Which Sold Millions

From psychic 8 balls to wigs for your dog, the world is full of wacky and wonderful products and inventions. But if the creators of these weird ideas which sold millions were to listen to those around them who didn't believe in their ability to bring these creations to life and then to market, they wouldn’t be rolling in the millions their products have earned them to date. Not bad for hamster helicopters and baby mops, right?

At Idea Reality we believe there is no such thing as a bad idea and will endeavour to create your products and ideas, however good or ridiculously good they are.

Here is our countdown of just 5 examples of what at first glance look like concoctions and contraptions that belong in the bargain bucket, but are proof that if you believe in yourself and your ideas, anything is possible!

5. In at number five are the doggy goggles that boggled our mind, and that’s before we found out the net worth of the company was £2 million. From a sky diving St Bernard to a mastiff on a motorbike these guys have you covered!

Image result for toilet night light

Image Credit: Google Images

4. In at number two…sorry we mean number four is the toilet night light. An illuminating toilet seat for those late night visits when you are just too sleepy to turn the bathroom light on. This product has sold nearly $300,000 worth of units. Whatever your reason for the product or idea there is success to be had so never flush a potential money maker down the toilet!

Image result for bunch o balloons

Image Credit: Google Images

3. Ever lacked ammunition in a really important water balloon fight? Well one genius dad created the ‘Bunch o Balloons’ multiple water balloon filler. We can guess which kids were top of the neighbourhood score chart that summer! An excellent example of how one small idea one holiday afternoon can transform into a $900,000 business.

Image result for lucky break wishbones

Image Credit: Google Images

2. Plastic Wishbones… yes you heard it right! Never again will the family fall out over a wish on Thanksgiving, thanks to one man at Lucky Break Wish Bones. Whether it’s a box of 5 or a crate of 500 there’s a wishbone for every occasion. He certainly wasn’t being a chicken when he plucked up the courage to launch this idea. Especially with these plastic bird sternums bring in approximately $800,000 a year.

Image result for the pet rock company

Image Credit: Google Images

1. Coming in at number one is the epitome of not giving up on your ideas. The Pet Rock company is estimated to be worth £15 million. When ordering from The Pet Rock Company, you will receive a 'pet' stone, a certificate of authenticity, and a box - who knew that we would love pet rocks so much! We think this is the perfect gift for someone who would love a pet but perhaps just hasn't got enough time for walkies.

With our top 5 weird ideas which sold millions, we invite you to test your idea - get our FREE online idea review by one of our lead designers. All of your ideas are under NDA so the secret will stay between you and us.

Invention Product Design Blog - 09/10/2018

How To Use Your Innovation As Your Marketing Tool

We have seen this more and more - innovative companies are using their forward-thinking ideas as brilliant marketing tools, and getting ahead of their competition.

Often when businesses think of innovation, they think of sci-fi-esque futuristic gadgets or simple changes in their office to help the workforce operate quicker and seamlessly. But innovation can help your brand stand out and strengthen the messages you are sending out to your potential customers. If your brand allows your customers to experience it, the way they feel after using your service of product will have a much longer lasting effect than any ad you publish.

Image result for samsung life saving truck

*Image taken from Google Images

To give you an example, Samsung created a life saving truck inspired by the alarming statistics of traffic deaths on Argentina’s narrow roads. This prototype truck had a wireless camera mounted on the front, and was live-streaming its view onto a huge wall of Samsung video screens on the back of the vehicle. Pretty memorable and effective - one you'll remember when choosing your TV.

Another example is Norwegian Air who enabled free Wi-Fi on their planes improving their passengers experience and changing the perceptions of their brand. A cheap airline who not only promises to trump the fares of their competitors but also offers free Wi-Fi on board - we know who we would choose *opens Instagram for live stream of the sunset sky*.

Image result for volvo life paint

*Image taken from Google Images

Another great example is the Volvo Life Paint, created with the brand ethos in mind: safety first. The UK team produced a reflective safety spray paint which helps cyclists be seen on the road and helps them keep safe.

And to finish our round up of some great innovation marketing we present to you Gatorade who created a bottle cap technology which measures your hydration rates - the smart bottle uses a microchip and disposable sweat patch to update users on the amount of sodium they lost, and flashes to remind you to drink (a Gatorade of course!)

A glowing red âchangeâ neon on a wall

What we can take away from these examples is that innovation and marketing go hand in hand - use your great ideas and changes to a marketing advantage, and be memorable.

The benefits of innovation marketing are:
- You will stand out in front of competitors
- You will help strengthen your brand core values
- You will be remembered by your potential customers and subconsciously employ brand ambassadors

And remember to have fun with innovation! Try new things, test out products, create prototypes... We can help you along the way!

Invention Product Design Blog - 07/31/2018

9 Successful People Who Failed The First Time

If at first we don't succeed... We will try, try, and try again! It can be disheartening to give your all to a project or a venture and not have it turn out the way you want it to. The word 'failure' is something most people are scared of. But we think failure is just a learning curve on the way to success - just looks at these successful people failed the first time!

1. Thomas Edison. When Edison was young, his teachers told him he was ‘too stupid to learn anything’. But later in life, Edison went to hold more than 1,000 patents! Including a product which we use every single day today: the electric lamp.

2. Albert Einstein. We know Einstein as the icon of intelligence, but he had some set backs. When he was a child Einstein didn’t start speaking until he was four, nor reading until he was seven, and doctors thought him to have learning difficulties. Later in life, Einstein won a Nobel Prize and changed how we think of physics.

3. Oprah Winfrey. We now know Oprah as a billionaire with her own TV channel, but did you know that she was fired from her first job as a TV anchor? But Oprah never gave up and carried on going - this is her quote relating to previous experience:
“There is no such thing as failure. Failure is just life trying to move us in another direction.”

4. Walt Disney. If Disney listened to his former newspaper editor, there would be less magic in the world. Why? Because he was told he lacked imagination and had no good ideas. Fast forward to today and Disney is an iconic name in multiple industries; his parks have been built with ample imagination and creativity; and his ideas have been adopted by some of the most successful businesses. Walt Disney's thoughts on failure:

"I think it's important to have a good hard failure when you're young... Because it makes you kind of aware of what can happen to you. Because of it I've never had any fear in my whole life when we've been near collapse and all of that. I've never been afraid."

5. Steven Spielberg. His movies have grossed more than $9 billion and Spielberg won three Academy Awards - we all know his name. But it wasn't always smooth sailing: Spielberg was rejected not once but twice by the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts. The university has now built a building in honour of the movie maker.

6. J.K. Rowling. Prior to the fame and fortune of Harry Potter, Rowling was a broke, depressed single mother who carried on her passion in writing whilst keeping up her studies. She is now one of the richest women in the world, and this is her take on failure:

"It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all - in which case, you fail by default."

7. Stephen King. Known as one of the most illustrious novelists, Stephen King is no stranger to rejection. His first book, Carrie, was turned down by publishers 30 times! A discouraged King threw his book in the bin, however his wife saved it and motivated him to try again, which led to his first book deal.

8. Charles Darwin. Darwin has shaped our understanding of the world, but when he was a student his teachers deemend him average and he event dropped out of his career in medicine. He later embarked on a different journey to study nature, and led to 'On the Origin of Species' which has made the biggest impact on how we look at our existence.

9. Sir James Dyson. Do you ever feel like giving up on a product when things don't go to plan? Dyson had a total number of 5,126 failed prototypes over the course of 15 years. That did not stop him from carrying on to create the best-selling vaccum cleaner which led to his net worth of $4.5billion.

So if you ever feel like giving up, don't. What we can learn from the successes of these talented individuals is that not many people get it right the first time; and that nothing great comes easy. Take advantage of our free Inventor's Advice Pack; and if you need help we're an e-mail click away: info@ideareality.design

Invention Product Design Blog - 07/17/2018

4 Tips On How To Make Your Business More Innovative

It's important for businesses to keep at the forefront of innovation allowing the company to: stay ahead of competitors; explore new markets; as well as have more marketing opportunities to be featured as the leaders in their field. Not to mention that making your business more innovative will increase productivity, engage your staff, and will probably reduce costs.

Naturally we're huge fans of innovation whether that's working on an innovative client project, or making our product design studio in Hampshire more innovative with day to day ideas. Here we share our top tips to help you business become more innovative:

1. Encourage Your Team To Develop Ideas

It doesn't matter how crazy or simple an idea may seem encourage your team to speak up and share their innovation ideas. Have they thought of a new idea how to spend less time making cups of tea or coffee for the whole office? Hear them out - this may be a winner. Have they got an idea for a new app which will make the whole teams life easier by scheduling and alerting them or project deadlines and meetings? You could definitely work with that! No idea is crazy in our eyes. By listening and implementing some of the ideas, you are encouraging the whole team to be involved and use their creativity for innovation.

2. Bring Innovative Technology In To The Office

At Idea Reality we welcome the trial of new technology to help out processes - and we have found some winners along the way. You can start small by using an online diary and storing documents on a cloud based system; or go big and introduce new payment systems, analytics, update your software. Innovation in technology helps us employ programmes which were designed to reduce time and cost.

3. Build An Innovation Team

To inspire new ideas and bring innovation to your business, you need a team of innovative masterminds. Sometimes that means employing a team of innovation developers: these people will be creative and bring a new outlook to the company. When you're building your innovation team look out for individuals with a creative background (whether it's work or leisure), and interesting hobbies - a diverse workforce can bounce off each other and work on developing amazing new ideas!

4. Outsource Your Innovation

Outsourcing your innovation team and creating a relationship with companies and agencies outside of your industry can be extremely useful in coming up with new ideas. You will also have an extra pair of hands when it comes to projects - meaning they can be completed much quicker.

Talk to us about your innovative ideas - we can make them a reality! E-mail us on info@ideareality.design or call 03330 119940. You can also submit your idea for a FREE review with one of our lead designers - click here to do so.

Invention Product Design Blog - 06/22/2018

How To Fund Product Development

You've come up with a great product idea - you know exactly what you want to achieve, you're excited about the process, and you can't wait to hold your completed product in your hands. But we also know it can be difficult to have the money to kickstart your idea, leaving you wondering how to fund product development - which is why we have come up with 4 different ways you can get help with funding product development.

1. Use The Power Of Crowdfunding

Crowdfunding is when you pitch your idea to investors and a crowd of people who will invest in your idea to have a stake in the business which owns it. Crowdfuding is commonly used by charities and entrepreneurs, as well as bigger businesses.

Kickstarter and Indiegogo are our preferred platforms as they use pre-sales rather than actual investments in your company. This is normally much more preferable than losing equity.

There are many more out there for you to choose from. If you decide to go via the crowdfunding route, make sure to read our blog post on how to use social media for crowdfunding success.

2. The Bank Of Mum & Dad (Or Partner, Or Friend...)

You can reach out to your relatives and friends to help you financially and invest into a potentially financially rewarding idea. They don't have to invest the whole sum, but asking to contribute a small amount can quickly get you to where you need to be to kickstart your project.

3. Find An Investor

Investors can come in the form of leaders and influencers within the industry your are planning to launch your product in. Have you ever seen Dragons' Den? We would recommend you watch the show to get an idea in to how pitches and investment works. Investors will give you the money you need to start your product development, however they will also ask for a share of your company or brand. Make sure you look out for the equity split in your agreement, the investors reputation and credibility, and how involved they will be in your business.

4. Take out a loan

If you have 100% faith in your projects success, you can take out a startup loan from a bank. But remember that you will need to pay it back, probably with interest, so be prepared to have the money to do so - otherwise you might find yourself in a tricky situation.

If you need help with product development, we're here to answer all your questions! Email us on info@ideareality.design to get the conversations started.

Invention Product Design Blog - 06/15/2018

Idea Reality – Award Winning Product Design

Idea Reality - Award Winning Product Design.

We are super excited to announce that we have won GOLD in the Industrial/Product category at the 2018 CreativePool Design Awards for our work with MotionLab Bags and their innovative Run Commute Rucksack! CreativePool have shortlisted some of the most innovative products in this category, and we are so proud to have had our work with MotionLab bags recognised and awarded. Go team!

We worked with MotionLab from the beginning of the product development - helping to develop the innovative flexible spine, frame, and chest buckle system. Our product prototyping capability allowed us to develop and manipulate the product design into the revolutionary and highly effective product you see today.

The bag design allows you to carry everything you need for your day including a large laptop, shoes, clothes etc. There are even quick access abdomen pockets for keys, phone, and wallet.

We strive to achieve the highest standard for our work, no matter how big or small the project is, so to be able to say we are an award winning product design agency has been a huge achievement for 2018. And we still have many more months to go!

Whether you're an entrepreneur, a small business, or an established brand we welcome you to come and work with us on your next product development project - we will even offer you a FREE idea review with one of our lead designers; or you can download our FREE inventor's advice pack to get your started.

Invention Product Design Blog - 06/08/2018

Golfing Innovation – Golf In Any Weather!

If you're a keen golfer enjoying the game in the beautiful UK grounds, you have probably come face to face with bad weather which makes the game frustrating and less enjoyable. Wind and rain make the game harder, and cancelled lessons are frustrating for both beginners and their coaches. Equally, hot weather climates can be dangerous for a golfers health with constant exposure to the sun. But how do you get around weather?

Stephen and Michael, the creators behind The Golf Tent, came to us with a brilliant plan. They wanted to create a product that would allow golf to be played in any weather - rain, wind, or scorching sunshine. They needed a product which could be portable, easy and quick to assemble in difficult conditions, and wouldn't damage the golf grounds. This product would also need to move around easily during the duration of the game.
In addition, this product needed to be able to be used at events promoting golf like fetes and parks; and extend in size to accommodate either one player or multiple players.

Here at the product development studio we helped turn this product into a reality - we present you with The Golf Tent! The Golf Tent combines all the above elements to make it a must have for both pro and beginner golfers - it allows you to golf in any weather, come rain or sunshine. The Golf Tent is available to pre-order on their website and has been getting interest from all over the world - from the UK to Australia!

Good luck Stephen and Michael - we can't wait to see how the brand grows in the next couple of years!

If you have a product idea but aren't sure how to make it a reality, we would be happy to have a chat with you - simply fill in our form to get the ball rolling!

Invention Product Design Blog - 05/11/2018

VOOM Pitch Is Back – Have You Entered?

How would you fancy pitching your business idea to none other than Sir Richard Branson? You have the opportunity to do just that! We wanted to share with you VOOM Pitch 2018 - UK and Ireland's pitching competition which gives you the chance to pitch your business for a share of £1M in prize. We think this is pretty exciting stuff!

VOOM Pitch 2018 is open to anyone who is aged 18 and over, lives in the UK or Ireland, and has an amazing business idea they want to pitch. There are many categories to choose from Spark & Startup for small businesses; to Scale & Grow for larger businesses who want to take their brands to the next level.

VOOM Pitch 2018 allows your business or brand to get noticed in the eyes of the public, as well as potential investors. Utilise social media and advertising to bump up your presence and tell everyone about your pitch - you'll be surprised how much exposure you can gain! Read our tips on how to use social media when crowdfunding your project for ideas to help you. You can also raise money from your pitch page on the VOOM website!

Those businesses who are in the finals will travel to London to pitch for Sir Richard Branson and have the opportunity to leave the day with a share of the £1m in prizes; and an invite to the FastTrack 100 Conference dinner with a chance to win over mentoring and funding.

If you want to enter VOOM Pitch 2018 you must hurry as entries close on 8th of May - head over to Voom Pitch 2018 and upload your video pitch which captures the passion and innovation of your business; then shout about your pitch to the world so everyone votes for you (our social media crowdfunding tips will definitely help you with that!); and make sure you're in the Top 40 of your category.

We would love to support your business idea - so tag us on social if you have entered and want us to vote for you! Or if you think you need more product development in place before entering the awards, we would love to help. In fact, as a new inventor you can save yourself some money with our fantastic offer - check it out here.

Invention Product Design Blog - 05/02/2018

Earth Day 2018 And Why We’re Reducing Plastic Use

April 22nd is Earth Day and this year it's all about reducing plastic pollution which we all know is devastating our planet. At Idea Reality, we support causes to help us save the planet and wanted to get involved this year in helping raise awareness of the dangers of plastic pollution and ways on how you can reduce plastic pollution.

Plastic pollution affects seas and land; marine animals are harmed by plastic in such ways as getting tangled in plastic objects, or ingesting plastic waste. They can also be exposed to chemicals which are harmful to them. But It's not just animals who are affected - humans can suffer from plastic pollution too. Not only can we be exposed to dangerous chemicals, but we ingest fish which could have eaten plastic - remember, you are what you eat.

It's a shame to know that in the UK 5 million tonnes of plastic are consumed per year, but we only recycle 24% of this. As well as making sure you recycle as much as you can, here are 5 tips on how you can make a big difference by helping reduce plastic pollution:

1. Buy a reusable water bottle and carry it around with you - you're helping to save the planet AND saving money!

2. Don't use plastic cutlery. We know it can be hard especially when you fancy a salad for lunch and all they have is plastic forks to take away with you, but you can use the fork in your office OR carry around a spoon/fork with you.

3. Get a bag for life and carry it around with you - most places now charge for plastic bags, so you will be saving money and the planet too. Supermarkets all offer bags for life whether it's a tough plastic bag which will last you years; or a hessian version which you can use for many different things.

4. Say no to straws. Consider whether you actually need a straw with your drink, and if you don't then refuse it. To save the bar from throwing straws away which they have put in to your drink, pre-warn them that you will not be needing a straw.

5. Choose loose in supermarkets. Veggies come with a lot of plastic packaging so try and shop for loose fruit and vegetables to help reduce the amount of plastic - and usually they're cheaper too! Or switch from supermarket to the local greengrocer where they are more likely to use paper bags.

What will you do to make a change this Earth Day and help reduce plastic pollution?

Invention Product Design Blog - 04/19/2018

flushbrush-innovative-bathroom-invention-design

Workspace Spring Clean Inspiration with FlushBrush

We have been inspired to get motivated and on our spring clean by one of our latest projects - the FlushBrush, the hygeinic toilet brush. FlushBrush leaves the head of the brush in the toilet bowl without anyone noticing it, and you can attach a handle when needed - keeping your toilet and bathroom free from germs. We were very excited to work on this project from start to finish - starting with an initial brief, and prototyping ready for lauch. The FlushBrush was demonstrated at this years Kitchens Bedrooms & Bathrooms Show in NEC Birmingham.

You can read more about the FlushBrush on our portfolio page, and hopefully you'll be just as inspired as us to get in the mood for a spring clean/declutter! Here are our 5 tops tips on how to spring clean / declutter your creative space:

1. Keep only what you need at arms length. We're all guilty of cluttering our desks with unnecessary paperwork, stationary, and memorabilia. Rid your desk of visual clutter by only keeping the essentials like you keyboard/mousemat, 1 or 2 pens, telephone, and a cup of hot coffee; remove stacks of paper and stationary in to their designated spaces like drawers or cupboards.

2. Sort through your 'holds everything' drawer. We all have one - that drawer where everything lives: from paperclips to old post it notes and snack bars. This drawer needs to be cleaned and detoxed - remove old notes and accessories which you no longer use, and make space for those things you really need to keep at your desk!

3. Avoid using your e-mails as a to-do list. Decluttering isn't just for paper and physical files, it's also for the digital files like the hundreds of e-mails in your inbox. Take a couple of hours, or even a day if you need it and go through your inbox - then create an actual to do list and clear this digital space.

4. Minimise your desktop icons. Whilst we're on the topic of digital declutter, having too many icons on your desktop can be stressful, especially when you need to quickly find a shortcut to a folder. Streamline these icons and make sure you have clear access to the folders you use the most. File away documents, don't just store them on your desktop!

5. Disinfect your workspace regularly. Keep a drawer of cleaning products and make sure you use them all over your desk, but especially on the keyboard and mouse, drawer and door handles, and anything else you touch on a regular basis.

If you have a product idea and want help with bringing it to life - and to market! - why not take advantage of our Brainstorm and Research package for new inventors?

Invention Product Design Blog - 04/13/2018