Category: Blog

Strange Industrial Era Inventions

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Weird Inventions from the Industrial Revolution

“Daring Ideas are like chessman moved forward; they may be beaten, but they may start a winning game” – Johaan Wolfgang

People have been building “daring ideas” since the dawn of the industrial area when inventors, manufacturers and eager consumers created an exciting market for new products. From helping people better their opera singing skills to building all terrain bicycles there has been few industries inventors have not touched. While not all of these ideas gained the commercially success the inventor hoped for they did offer a unique solution to a problem. Here a few of our favorites!

1) Amphibious Bicycle

2) Bike Tire Swimsuit

3) Apartment Window Baby PlayPen

4) Man-Powered Passenger Cart

5) Multitasking Rotating Desk

6) Paper Hot Air Balloon

7) Barrel Submarine

8) Gas-Powered "Unicycle"

9) Dimple Maker

10) Steam Engine

11) Sewing Machine

12) Railroads

13) Hansen Writing Ball

14) Edison Standard Phonograph

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Published on: November 23, 2022

Design 1st 2021 Year in Review

27 Years Experience

75+ Design Awards

1,000+ Manufactured Products

From Idea to Prototype in as Little as Six Weeks!

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The Design 1st team and our clients met the challenges of 2021 head-on. Over the course of 365 days, we worked on 77 unique projects, oversaw six products move to volume manufacturing, and received award recognition for several innovative projects. See all our highlights below:

1) Six New Projects Launched From Idea to Volume Manufacturing

Launching new physical products to volume manufacturing is tough. It takes time, expertise, funding, and a solid manufacturing strategy to be successful. So when we guide our client’s projects from their idea to the first volume production runs we are thrilled! This past year the Design 1st manufacturing team helped six clients in uniquely different markets to set up their supplier base and their manufacturing operations.

2) Exciting New Client Projects

In 2021, over a dozen of recently started projects will be moving into manufacturing and launching to market in 2022. This represents a 100% increase over our 2021 Client products, managing from the idea right through to their launch. Here are a few of our favorite projects over the past year spanning multiple industries.

3) Awards and Recognition

In 2021, the Design 1st team set a new record for award recognition! Alongside our clients, we won six prestigious awards that reflect our dedication to world-class product development. These awards include product-specific design awards and industry recognition for being a top global b2b design team. View them below:

4) Projects By Industry

In 2021, Design 1st set a new record – 77 unique projects were worked on! We took those 77 projects and spilt them into their respective industries to give an overview of the diversity of expertise and project innovation we work on each year.

5) Design 1st 2021 Company Highlights

Every we round up all the numbers that go into our day-to-day working activities. We use this data to create an annual infographic showing how the Design 1st team grew, stayed busy, and delivered our clients successful new products. We are excited to share this year’s summary below:

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Published on: February 27, 2022

6 Pitfalls to Avoid When Manufacturing in China

Design 1st

February 25, 2022

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1) Not Having a Firm Quotable Specification

Be sure your specifications are organized and in sufficient detail for quoting before the start of quotation cycle with contract manufacturers. This will ensure you get a competitive and comparative quote from each factory.

If the design specification evolves during the process, the additional costs are more difficult to control, but a technical partner can challenge any cost increases due to changes added on the fly.

2) Ideas and Design Files Leakage

Remember that this factory may be building a similar product or your biggest competitor’s product. Selection of the best Contract Manufacturer for your product must be done not only with price in mind but also by setting up reasonable legal contracts for expectations and quality control. Also look carefully at the Contract Manufacturers past history, their other clients and whether they have the integrity to keep your best interests in mind.

And don’t be surprised if your relationship breaks down or at the next tradeshow your competitor has implemented your pièce de résistance or killer features in their product variant. Setting up, monitoring and maintaining a good relationship are no different than any other trusted partner you choose to engage to build your business.

3) Will Your Intellectual Property Stay Protected?

Manufacturers have good process knowledge, and many times they introduce feature and component changes to the initial product design prior to manufacturing. These changes are usually done in your best interest, but they can make an unforeseen risk.

Some of these changes may alter the intellectual property of your product, which could mean the factory could have claim to contributing to the patentable elements.

4) Keep Revisions to a minimum

During the quotation period and first pilot build of your product keep revisions to a bare minimum. If you extend the schedule or continue to tweak features and aesthetics, costs go up and the attention span at the factory goes down – not a good trade-off.

Making revisions also puts strain on the relationship with manufacturers which can cause them to ignore you, delay the build or increased costs.

5) Firmware = ulcers

While the majority of manufacturing is easy for a manufacturer to proceed, build samples and get ready for volume manufacture (plastics and PCBs) – firmware is tricky.

Factories who write the firmware that makes the electronics and your product work the way you want it to do not tend to let this firmware go (custom software code written and inserted into the microprocessors on your circuit boards). This area of services usually causes big delays and drives up costs, especially if you don’t take control and write this firmware yourself. We recommend you have your design manufacturing support partner complete and update your firmware, avoid an ulcer!

6) Order size does matter

The larger the volume of your manufacturing build, the better your process management, control and costs reductions will be. Small order sizes may work when the factory is not busy but as soon as a big order arrives from another customer of the CM you could be put aside.

Training of staff to run a batch of your product takes time to get everything organized. With small batches, less process control is done and if your order interval is 6 months a whole new group may be building the second order – so knowledge is gained and lost and the risk of errors, defects and variation in your product goes up. Order size does matter to keep the attention of the factory and quality of your product predictable.

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Published on: February 25, 2022

Six Design 1st Clients Win Product Design Awards in 2022

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75+ Design Awards

1,000+ Manufactured Products

From Idea to Prototype in as Little as Six Weeks!

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Design 1st is celebrating the success of our clients in capturing industry recognition through winning multiple awards in 2022.

September 29, 2022 – Design 1st, one of the most trusted full-service product design-engineering firms across North America, is excited to share the success of six of our new clients for receiving industry recognition on the launch of new products in 2022.

The industry awards and prestigious design accolades include the A’Design, European Product Design, Grand Prix Du Design, InfoComm and SCN AV Product awards. The awards mark a new record for Design 1st, with six unique clients receiving product awards in 2022.

Explore the Winning Produts Below

1) SUPStick: Ultimate Land Paddle

The SUPStick is the ultimate land paddle that features patented Impact Reduction Technology™ (IRT) that allows users to seamlessly transition from on-water training to the roads, streets and sidewalks. With a unidirectional wheel, carbon fiber spring and aluminum swing-arm, this land paddle truly gives you the feeling that you’re paddling on the water. The SUPStick is designed to be both durable and lightweight.

The Design 1st mechanical design team worked with Joel Brennan, the inventor of SUPstick, to transform his vision for a land paddle into a manufacturable product ready for market!

2) Calibre: Breath Metabolic Tracker

Calibre is a wearable, real-time fitness metabolic tracker that measures breath flow and caloric burn of carbohydrates vs. fats, and oxygen uptake and other respiratory parameters. The data influences how daily routines and exercise affect the body and respiratory system.

Using the proven science of breath calorimetry, a unique design and the most accurate lab-grade sensors available, Calibre™ empowers you to take charge of your metabolism. The accompanying APP allows users to compare data between sessions to see how metabolic state is impacted by sleep, nutrition and stress.

3) ARC: Mobile Charging Kiosk

Arc was inspired by the need for a locker-based, expandable device management kiosk with intelligent software that can track, secure, and manage devices for employees.

The intelligent mobile device management system in one centralized kiosk to help companies manage and charge handheld mobile devices. Modular to support device growth, the heavy-gauge steel lockers keep devices safe and unauthorized users out. A 17 inch touchscreen facilitates employee self-service, and a wide-lens security camera and RFID enforce user compliance.

4) FunkkOFF!: Portable TeethFresshers

The 1st ever 2-in-1 toothbrush + toothpaste that is reusable (30x) for use on-the-go. FunkkOFF! TeethRefreshers® is an elegant design for easy use – just twist the bottom, brush, rinse, and smile. Compact and reusable by design, FunkkOFF! TeethRefreshers® includes a proprietary tooth gel that was formulated to be 100% natural, chemical-free, SLS-Free, Fluoride-Free, BPA-Free, Gluten-Free, and Vegan.

Plus, with a clever mirror on the bottom, FunkkOFF! TeethRefreshers® is your beauty accessory for your smile when you’re on the go.

5) Epiphan: Pearl Nano

Pearl Nano™ is a perfect fit for small-scale events as a dedicated video streamer and recorder. The device is the second product Design 1st has designed Epiphan, the first product called the Pearl, was a larger version with a brush metal design to be used along side a professional AV recording setup.

The Pearl Nano allows anyone to professional record and stream and even in real-time. The built-in front screen of the Nano offers quick access to basic configuration while you are streaming and recording, while the connection to the Epiphan Cloud gives you professional video production capabilities.

6) Telescoping Kayak

The Telescoping Kayak is a first-of-its-kind collapsible water vessel (commonly known as a kayak or canoe), easy to transport and store. Custom designed for the water enthusiast with components that make it simple for users to collapse and carry, the Kayak revolutionizes the transport and storage process of personal water vessels without impacting functional and aesthetic quality. Kayak is currently a production-intent prototype that is attracting investors and fueling interest from industry leaders.

The Design 1st team worked with the client Rhys Kirk, to transform his vision into a production-ready product that balanced cost of manufacturing, waterproofing, ease of carrying and paddling the comfort.

Additional Resources

About Design 1st

Design 1st is one of the most trusted full-service product design firms across North America, with a seasoned team consisting of diverse technical expertise, over 1,000 projects developed, and 130 client patents secured. From Startup to Enterprise, we enable companies to quickly scale capabilities throughout their new product development programs by leveraging our core competencies in industrial design, mechanical engineering, electronics engineering, embedded firmware, and manufacturing setup. Design 1st’s plug-in experienced team has helped clients transform their physical ideas into commercialized hardware products across a variety of industries and influenced millions of people globally. To learn more, visit www.design1st.com.

Media Contact:
Joan Highet
jhighet@design1st.com

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Published on: January 27, 2022

Biomimicry: Nature is a Product Design Genius

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75+ Design Awards

1,000+ Manufactured Products

From Idea to Prototype in as Little as Six Weeks!

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Solving complex design challenges by studying nature is not new. Centuries ago designers tried to imitate the flapping of bird’s wings to take flight. The device at the time was called a Ornihopter and the earliest concepts date back to Leonardo da Vinci’s design in 1485. As you may be aware, the Ornihopter didn’t exactly work out as planned, and it took 4 more centuries until inventors in France got it to take flight in 1871. Now fast forward to 2014. Biomimcry – mimicking nature to solve design problems – has become both an emerging design discipline and a buzz word that embodies sustainable design. The core philosophy is that nature, through centuries of evolution, has already solved many of the complex design problems we are grappling with today. By emulating nature and it’s strategies and solutions we can design better solutions to human problems that are both sustainable and efficient. Watch the short video below to learn more on how Biomimicry is shaping the design of products today and tomorrow:

And if you’re looking for more inspiration on how Biomimetic designs are here to stay along with dozens of examples check out Janie Benyus TED Talk video on Biomicry in Action below. In it will not only tune you into the specular design genius of mother nature but may also give you some ideas for a new product, startup or disruptive technology!

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Published on: October 24, 2021

9 Examples of Hardware Startups Founded by Doctors

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Doctor are inventing successful new medical devices.

Entrepreneurial doctors across North America are driving medical innovation forward across a variety of niches including cardiology, orthopedics, dentistry, pediatrics and DNA analysis.

Explore 9 medical devices startups founded by doctors:

Montreal-based orthopedic surgeon Dr. Edward Harvey saw an urgent patient need to improve diagnosis of Acute Compartment Syndrome (ACS), a limb-threatening muscle condition that occurs within 48 hours of a trauma. MY01 is his solution: a real-time patient monitoring hardware device and companion application.

Fun Fact: My01 was selected as MedTech Top 50 Global Innovator.

Toronto-based Cardiologist Dr. Yair Feld co-founded Paragate Medical to develop his idea for an implantable device that would limit pathologic fluid overload, a major symptom of heart failure and kidney disease. The device works through continuous clearance of systemic congestion.

Fun Fact: Paragate Medical was selected as a MedTech Top 50 Global Innovator for its medical device.

Ottawa based dental surgeon Dr. Marc Lamarre saw an opportunity to improve dental charting and periodontal probing. The current methods use paper charts and a metal probe — the gold standard for over 120 years. Dr. Lamarre’s solution was a 3D voice-activated charting system and digital probe that he is bringing to market with help from Design 1st.

Fun Fact: Cumulus Dental is in the middle of clinical trials and plans to launch in 2019.

Harvard-educated, Toronto-based physician Julielynn Wong founded 3D4MD in 2011 to bring affordable medical tools to support medical care worldwide. The solution was a 3D printing system approved by Health Canada and the FDA that prints medical tools, supplies and equipment on demand, anywhere in the world – or space.

Fun Fact: 3D4MD was used on the International Space Station to 3D print a finger splint

Toronto-based reconstructive surgeon Dr. Podolsky wanted to bridge the gap between theory and training on real patients for cleft palate repair surgery. The solution was a life-like cleft palate simulator, a physical model that can be used with real surgical instruments in an operating room setting.

Fun Fact: Dr. Podolsky’s received a $25,00o Joule Innovation grant to help bring his idea to market.

Toronto-based cardiologist Dr. Brian Courtney saw an opportunity to use new medical image guidance systems to improve cardiovascular procedures to make common procedures faster and safer. The solution was an intravascular coronary imaging system that can visualize blood flow in 3D, giving a clear picture to the surgical physician.

Fun Fact: Conavi announced first clinical use of their technology in August 2018.

Ottawa-based pediatrician Dr. Matthew Bromwich knew the importance of endoscopy video for patient care and resident training but found getting access to video equipment difficult. The solution he invented was the Health Canada approved CLEARSCOPE Adaptor, an endoscope attachment that uses a smartphones HD camera.

Fun Fact: The CLEARSCOPE sells across the globe with distributors in every continent.

University of Ottawa educated physician Dr. Paul Lem was frustrated with the status quo of DNA analysis, a process that was slow, complex and expensive. Dr. Lem’s solution was to take DNA analysis out of the lab and into the clinic via a portable DNA analyzer device that could provide the same DNA results at a fraction of the cost.

Fun Fact: In 2018, Spartan’s CUBE provided a breakthrough in testing for Legionnaires Disease Bacteria.

Edmonton-based cardiac surgeons Dr. Darren Freed and Dr. Jayan Nagendran saw a major problem with organ transplants in Canada – wait lists were long and less than 25% of donated organs were suitable for transplant. The solution was to increase the amount of organs suitable for transplant through an innovative-thermal controlled medical device.

Fun Fact: Tevosol received $20 million in Series A funding to bring the technology to market.

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Published on: March 1, 2021

Four Clients Awarded for Disrupting Markets: Cannabis Tech, Telematics, FemTech, FinTech

27 Years Experience

75+ Design Awards

1,000+ Manufactured Products

From Idea to Prototype in as Little as Six Weeks!

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Disrupting markets with new hardware devices is tough. So when clients win awards for disruptive new innovation we celebrate.

This month we are thrilled to announce four clients won awards. Find out who below:

1. Tafée Technologies

Cannabis Tech: Medical Device

Tafée Technologies provides elegant aromatherapy vapor devices for the medical cannabis industry. Its flagship BOWLE vaporizer won the prestigious A-Design Award for industrial design – a reflection of the product’s laser focus on making cannabis accessible through contemporary design and engineering.

This brings BOWLE’s award total to three, adding to the two International Design Awards won in April after being recognized for its positive impact on reducing cannabis stimage through intuitive design. This has put Tafee technologies on the map in the Cannabis Tech industry.

You can learn more about BOWLE here: http://tafee.com

2. Momentum IoT

Telematics: Fleet Tracking

Momentum IoT is shaking up the GPS fleet tracking industry with an ultra rugged easy-to-install telematics device and no-strings business model users love. Momentum IoT won the CompassIntel IoT Award with its commitment to simplifying GPS equipment tracking for business owners through innovative technology.

Built from the ground up, Momentum IoT competes with existing telematics solutions offered by industry titans such as Verizon, GE, and PTC. The difference? Momentum IoT focuses on user experience and a unique business model any company with a fleet or heavy equipment will adore.

You can learn more about Momentum IoT here: https://www.momentumiot.com

3. Joylux

FemTech: Medical Device

Joylux is an innovative FemTech company focused on women’s wellness. They create high-tech medical devices to empower women to live their best lives. The prestitgious Luis Villablos is awarded to the most innovative company and reflects the impact Joylux is having on women’s health.

Its flagship Health Canada-approved vSculpt device combines therapeutic light-energy, gentle heat, and sonic vibration technology to treat pelvic floor issues. The product is an industry first that has generated significant media interest including Cosmopolitan, Glamour and Fast Company articles.

You can learn more about vSculpt here: www.vsculpt.com

4. Cloud9

FinTech: Trader Communications

Cloud9 Technologies is transforming how traders in financial markets communicate. Its innovative voice platforms connect traders instantly via a touch-based button board device. For the second year in a row Cloud9 took home the Sell-Side Technology Award, a clear sign that Cloud9 is revolutionizing an industry that once relied solely on traditional telephone solutions.

Cloud9’s rise from concept to industry disruptor in under three years has been supported by $73 million in investor funding plus early support from customers JP Morgan and Barclays Bank. The Cloud9 platform now handles millions of voice trader communications each day from a network of over 5000 institutional traders.

You can learn more about Cloud9 Technologies here: https://www.c9tec.com/

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Published on: February 26, 2021

CES 2020 Review: Product Design Perspective

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75+ Design Awards

1,000+ Manufactured Products

From Idea to Prototype in as Little as Six Weeks!

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Attending the annual International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas is a product designer’s version of visiting Santa’s workshop.

New gadgets, technology and innovation fresh out of the R&D lab are put on display. This results in a flood of new ideas that can impact the direction of existing and future projects.

To get the most out of CES 2020, you must come prepared. With over 4500 exhibitors and 2.9 million square feet of exhibit space, it is easy to get overwhelmed.

Take a look at some of our favorite highlights:

1) Robotic Hardware Startup Pitches

The hottest startups at CES 2020 were robotic hardware – hands down. This cohort even had their own “robotic hardware pitch” competition which drew thousands of attendees.

Digging into the details it is easy to see why connected hardware is creating a new industrial revolution where sensors, connectivity and artificial-intelligence are being baked into new physical objects. The result? Groundbreaking, affordable products that delight.

The video below provides an excellent recap of the coolest robots seen at CES 2020:

The weird and wonderful world of robots at CES 2020

2) Exploring the Future of Foldable Screen Technology

Foldable screens are more than a novelty, they are a clever design feature allowing devices to shrink while still maintaining screen real estate. At CES 2019, foldable screens made their debut but the excitement was short-lived. Tech reviewers kept breaking the screens – and reporting the results. The most memorable was the Samsung Galaxy Fold review fail.

This year at CES2020 foldable screens moved beyond smartphones to laptops. The most notable were Intel’s 17-inch prototype tablet/laptop and Lenovo’s 13.3 inch ThinkPad X1 Fold.

Moving into 2020, expect to see foldable screens across a large variety of physical devices.

The future of foldable PC’s at CES2020

3) Product Design Industry Sessions

Each year at CES, there are hundreds of industry sessions and talks. These events are the perfect way to get up to speed on current trends.

Our top five favorite sessions for product designers at CES2020 were:

These sessions were a wonderful way to hit on the prickly realities of the design process. They also answered our customers most common questions such as, “How do I improve predictability moving to market?”, “How can I prioritize sustainable materials in my design?”, and “How can I speed up prototyping as my company expands?”.

Bosch CEO speaks about AI and new product design

4) CES 2020 Image Gallery

Take a look at the top gadgets, booths and technology on display at CES 2020:

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Published on: February 25, 2020

Design 1st 2019 Year in Review

27 Years Experience

75+ Design Awards

1,000+ Manufactured Products

From Idea to Prototype in as Little as Six Weeks!

Ready to Start?

A passionate, creative, hard-working team can get a lot done in 365 days. How much? Take a look at our infographic below to find out:

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Published on: February 25, 2020

Search First – Then Design Your Product

27 Years Experience

75+ Design Awards

1,000+ Manufactured Products

From Idea to Prototype in as Little as Six Weeks!

Ready to Start?

With a world of data at your fingertips, quickly determining if a new product idea is already on the market should be easy and fast. Unfortunately, for many companies, would-be inventors and entrepreneurs harnessing the power of Google for market information and related patent data can be just out of reach. While basic keyword searches and a quick look through Google images may provide easy low hanging data fruit, access to the high value bits takes a little more search skill knowledge.

Design 1st has developed our search acumen and business expertise helping inventors and start-ups better understand the patent and competitive landscape of their new product idea. We offer our clients a ‘Product Opportunity Investigation’ (POI) report that provides a detailed web based examination of their product idea. When doing searches yourself, with a little web search knowledge, a more intelligent Google Search query is all that’s needed to see that your inventions market is saturated with competition and you should abandon the idea, modify the idea or move onto the next idea.

For the do it yourself crowd, to get a full understanding of whether your product idea has value beyond the napkin sketch, here are 3 Google Search tricks that will either set you on a path laughing all the way to the bank or sulking back to the drawing board. A simple search leads to millions of results and all of us get tired of looking after page 2. Tricks you should use, in any search using Google to bring more relevant information to the first pages:

1) Google Search Operators

The internet has often been called the “largest library in the world with all the books on the floor”. If this stands true than Google is the Library catalogue and Search Operators are the Dewey decimal system. To find what you want and leave out what you do not, Google has several Operators that help structure your keyword search, returning more relevant results. Commonly used search operators include:

– “Quotes” to specify exact words and phrased that must be included in search results

– Hypen (-) to remove certain keywords and

– Number Range (#..#) to specify specific dates and series’ of numbers

– OR: gives you a choice (cats OR dogs)

For example, if your product idea is for a new Mouse Trap Innovation that works by capturing not killing the mice and can accommodate rodents up to the size of squirrel; a Google search query that will reveal any competitors in the past three years could look like this:

– New “mouse trap” OR “squirrel trap” product invention OR innovation OR idea 2010..2013 –kill

A review of the Google Search Results show that the game Mouse Trap is within the top search results. This is not helpful for the information we are trying to find so we remove it from the search results using the Hypen operator (ie. –game). This returns a number of relevant results including the “Big Cheese Multi-Catch Mouse Trap” for $5 and the “Mouse Trapp” which also sends a text to your Smart Phone when mouse is caught.

2) Google Alerts

Google Alerts is your own private army of internet searchers that go out everyday crawling the web for keywords that you specify. The best part, its free! All you have to do is sign up to Google Alerts with your Google account, enter your search query and watch the results trickle into your inbox. If you’re trying to get a better understand of your product idea’s industry Google Alerts is a perfect place to start. You can track news on competitors, product reviews and industry news. Although one tip to remember with is to set up very specific keyword phrases for Google to alert you about or you may end up with dozens of irrelevant results. To do this refer to Trick 1 and use your Google search operators.

3) Google Trends

Google trends is another handy free tool that lets you see the popularity of search terms over time, by region, industry and type of media (ie. Text, image, video). Simply plug in a search term (ie. Mouse trap) and get a chart, map and similar keyword terms that are rising in popularity. This is a valuable tool to determine the popularity of certain brands. For example, if your product idea is a new golf club that you ideally want to license to either Taylormade or Callaway Golf club manufacturers – you can type both their names into Google Trends and see who is more popular. Additionally, Google Trends provides a forecast feature of future search interest along with news Headlines from companies, brands and keywords being searched.

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Published on: June 24, 2019

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Category: Blog

Strange Industrial Era Inventions

From Idea to Prototype in as Little as Six Weeks!

Weird Inventions from the Industrial Revolution

1) Amphibious Bicycle

2) Bike Tire Swimsuit

3) Apartment Window Baby PlayPen

4) Man-Powered Passenger Cart

5) Multitasking Rotating Desk

6) Paper Hot Air Balloon

7) Barrel Submarine

8) Gas-Powered "Unicycle"

9) Dimple Maker

10) Steam Engine

11) Sewing Machine

12) Railroads

13) Hansen Writing Ball

14) Edison Standard Phonograph

Have a new product idea?

More Related Resources

Crowdfunding Graveyard - What Killed 41 HW Projects?

Design 1st 2025: Year in Review

Hardware Product Development Trends for 2026

Design 1st 2021 Year in Review

From Idea to Prototype in as Little as Six Weeks!

2021 Highlights:

1) Six New Projects Launched From Idea to Volume Manufacturing

2) Exciting New Client Projects

3) Awards and Recognition

4) Projects By Industry

5) Design 1st 2021 Company Highlights

Have a new project idea?

More Related Resources

Crowdfunding Graveyard - What Killed 41 HW Projects?

Design 1st 2025: Year in Review

Hardware Product Development Trends for 2026

6 Pitfalls to Avoid When Manufacturing in China

Design 1st

There are huge cost advantages to manufacturing in China

1) Not Having a Firm Quotable Specification

2) Ideas and Design Files Leakage

3) Will Your Intellectual Property Stay Protected?

4) Keep Revisions to a minimum

5) Firmware = ulcers

6) Order size does matter

Have a new product idea?

More Related Resources

Crowdfunding Graveyard - What Killed 41 HW Projects?

Design 1st 2025: Year in Review

Hardware Product Development Trends for 2026

Six Design 1st Clients Win Product Design Awards in 2022

From Idea to Prototype in as Little as Six Weeks!

Design 1st is celebrating the success of our clients in capturing industry recognition through winning multiple awards in 2022.

Explore the Winning Produts Below

Have a new product idea?

More Related Resources

Crowdfunding Graveyard - What Killed 41 HW Projects?

Design 1st 2025: Year in Review

Hardware Product Development Trends for 2026

Biomimicry: Nature is a Product Design Genius

From Idea to Prototype in as Little as Six Weeks!

Have a new product idea?

More Related Resources

Crowdfunding Graveyard - What Killed 41 HW Projects?

Design 1st 2025: Year in Review

Hardware Product Development Trends for 2026

9 Examples of Hardware Startups Founded by Doctors

From Idea to Prototype in as Little as Six Weeks!

Doctor are inventing successful new medical devices.

Working on a medical device idea?

More Related Resources

Crowdfunding Graveyard - What Killed 41 HW Projects?