How to get a product designed?

spark240

So I have an idea for a guitar / instrument related product, searched the web and found very little, except people talking about the lack of it.

So, anyone had a product designed from an idea ?....who do you go to for that sort of thing?....should the idea be registered first?

dindude

What you need is a product designer. 

Happy to help.

m_c

Pay someone lots of money, once they've signed a NDA, to do the design work, then find someone to manufacture it, and hope your product will earn you enough to recoup your initial outlay.

Other option, is to learn how to do it yourself.

One key thing to remember, patents are only effective if you have the money to defend them, and that they don't cover prior work (if anybody can prove that your patent covers something that was in the public domain prior to your patent application, then your patent is worthless). The only people who usually get rich from patents, are those trying to convince you that you need one, and lawyers trying to defend them.
Being first to market with an innovative product before the competition can catch up, will usually be more profitable, than wasting money trying to defend patents.

monquixote

If you read any book about startups then one of the first bits of advice you will be given is that ideas are largely worthless and execution is everything. 

Don't waste your time trying to protect your IP, instead focus all of your energies into making a prototype and getting it into the hands of people who might be interested in using it.

Most companies don't fail because everyone steals their idea, they fail because no one wants to buy their product. 

thermionic

m_c said:

One key thing to remember, patents are only effective if you have the money to defend them, and that they don't cover prior work (if anybody can prove that your patent covers something that was in the public domain prior to your patent application, then your patent is worthless). The only people who usually get rich from patents, are those trying to convince you that you need one, and lawyers trying to defend them.
Being first to market with an innovative product before the competition can catch up, will usually be more profitable, than wasting money trying to defend patents.

With all due respect, this is nonsense.

Anyway, something like a guitar rack will not be patentable anyway (you can only get a patent granted on a novel and inventive technical feature). You might want to protect the look or appearance of it though, in that case you'd be looking at design rights.

m_c

thermionic said:

m_c said:

One key thing to remember, patents are only effective if you have the money to defend them, and that they don't cover prior work (if anybody can prove that your patent covers something that was in the public domain prior to your patent application, then your patent is worthless). The only people who usually get rich from patents, are those trying to convince you that you need one, and lawyers trying to defend them.
Being first to market with an innovative product before the competition can catch up, will usually be more profitable, than wasting money trying to defend patents.

With all due respect, this is nonsense.

Anyway, something like a guitar rack will not be patentable anyway (you can only get a patent granted on a novel and inventive technical feature). You might want to protect the look or appearance of it though, in that case you'd be looking at design rights.

That's what I got told years ago from somebody who designed products that could of been patented. He had looked at the costs, and although the patent could of stopped his competition, the costs involved were not worth it. First you have to pay to get the patent, then you have to defend it. If you don't defend it, then there's no point having it. And to make it worthwhile defending it, you have to be very confident you're going to win the case and get your costs back, otherwise it's going to cost you even more to lose the patent.
His attitude was, while the competition were playing catchup trying to copy his latest product and ultimately undercut him, he was already working on the next version. He made his profit from innovation. His competition made theirs from mass producing.

You have to consider is your idea really worth the cost to patent?
If it's something where profit is going to be measured at most in tens of thousands over a few years, it probably isn't. If it could be worth millions, then it's probably worth it.

Danny1969

I designed an IEM product for myself purely because it made my gigging life easier. Other people saw it and ordered it from me in small numbers. Now I'm at the point where a third party contract manufacturer has agreed to make it using modern tape reel surface mount production. I can't patent the design because A I've already sold some and B it's probably not patentable being a simple idea ...... and even if it was that doesn't mean  no one can copy it .... some companies like Behringer just copy everything they like despite patents, then the patent holder has to spend money to defend it!

If you have a good idea then you need to build a prototype yourself or tell someone else your idea and get them to do it. How you do that depends on the top of product. People like myself tend to build prototypes of electronic devices using veroboard and project boxes.  then that prototype needs testing over a year or so to iron out any flaws ... then you can take it to a contract manufacturer. 

spark240

Sounds like I need to work up a prototype...

Modulus_Amps

m_c said:

thermionic said:

m_c said:

One key thing to remember, patents are only effective if you have the money to defend them, and that they don't cover prior work (if anybody can prove that your patent covers something that was in the public domain prior to your patent application, then your patent is worthless). The only people who usually get rich from patents, are those trying to convince you that you need one, and lawyers trying to defend them.
Being first to market with an innovative product before the competition can catch up, will usually be more profitable, than wasting money trying to defend patents.

With all due respect, this is nonsense.

Anyway, something like a guitar rack will not be patentable anyway (you can only get a patent granted on a novel and inventive technical feature). You might want to protect the look or appearance of it though, in that case you'd be looking at design rights.

That's what I got told years ago from somebody who designed products that could of been patented. He had looked at the costs, and although the patent could of stopped his competition, the costs involved were not worth it. First you have to pay to get the patent, then you have to defend it. If you don't defend it, then there's no point having it. And to make it worthwhile defending it, you have to be very confident you're going to win the case and get your costs back, otherwise it's going to cost you even more to lose the patent.
His attitude was, while the competition were playing catchup trying to copy his latest product and ultimately undercut him, he was already working on the next version. He made his profit from innovation. His competition made theirs from mass producing.

You have to consider is your idea really worth the cost to patent?
If it's something where profit is going to be measured at most in tens of thousands over a few years, it probably isn't. If it could be worth millions, then it's probably worth it.

Actually not nonsense, depending on who is trying to infringe on your patent. there are many cases of small companies folding as a result of patent infringements cases being drawn out deliberately. But then there are those that win and it can be worth it.

 if you have an idea that is worth allot of money then protect it, it will at least let you send cease and desist letter.
but I can't think of any music products that are worth allot of money now other than maybe the tech behind kempers etc you decide

but a NDA with a designer should get you started and at least you can thrash out the idea and decide if you want to proceed with a patent.

I hold one patent myself and several items I have designed are patented under another companies ownership, these patents have been worth allot to the owners and have protected the market for them.

d8m

dindude said:

What you need is a product designer. 

Happy to help.

Same

monquixote

thermionic said:

m_c said:

One key thing to remember, patents are only effective if you have the money to defend them, and that they don't cover prior work (if anybody can prove that your patent covers something that was in the public domain prior to your patent application, then your patent is worthless). The only people who usually get rich from patents, are those trying to convince you that you need one, and lawyers trying to defend them.
Being first to market with an innovative product before the competition can catch up, will usually be more profitable, than wasting money trying to defend patents.

With all due respect, this is nonsense.

No it isn't  (and I speak as someone who holds patents)

Patents can be valuable, but rarely to private individuals who have product ideas.

MrBump

Product Designer sounds like an ace job!!!

https://www.prospects.ac.uk/job-profiles/product-designer

d8m

MrBump said:

Product Designer sounds like an ace job!!!

https://www.prospects.ac.uk/job-profiles/product-designer

Has its moments but on the whole I really enjoy what I do!

FX_Munkee

I was supposed to do my masters in product design but I was lured to the dark side (aka computer graphics) when I went to see the course.

musteatbrain

If you need a professional 3D printing service for prototype parts I work somewhere that runs a cheap service for staff

Modulus_Amps

MrBump said:

Product Designer sounds like an ace job!!!

https://www.prospects.ac.uk/job-profiles/product-designer

I used to run a engineering design team, we had lots of qualified "product designers" apply for jobs that they were not qualified to do (engineering requires advanced maths). I think it looks good on paper but not allot of jobs, certainly not in this area....it is a bit akin to training to be a graphic designer 15 years ago, now days school kids can use photoshop just as well, it won't be long before 3D software is easily available... if it is not already.

Apologies to all those who this offends

d8m

Modulus_Amps said:

MrBump said:

Product Designer sounds like an ace job!!!

https://www.prospects.ac.uk/job-profiles/product-designer

I used to run a engineering design team, we had lots of qualified "product designers" apply for jobs that they were not qualified to do (engineering requires advanced maths). I think it looks good on paper but not allot of jobs, certainly not in this area....it is a bit akin to training to be a graphic designer 15 years ago, now days school kids can use photoshop just as well, it won't be long before 3D software is easily available... if it is not already.

Apologies to all those who this offends

Good PD jobs were few and far between when I graduated.
Luckily I had a skill set that allowed me to jump into a design engineer role!