Prototype

One of the essential early steps in the inventing process iscreating a prototype–which, simply defined, is a three-dimensionalversion of your vision. But what exactly should a prototype looklike? First, it depends on your idea. Second, it depends on yourbudget and your goals. If possible, it’s great to start with ahandmade prototype, no matter how rudimentary. We’ve seenprototypes made from the simplest of household items: socks, diapertabs, household glue, empty milk containers–you name it. If itworks for your initial demonstration purposes, it’s as good as themost expensive materials.

Eventually, if you decide to move forward with your invention,you’ll probably need what’s known as a “pre-production”prototype–especially if you plan to manufacture it yourself ratherthan license it. But as a first step, a homemade “presentation”prototype can give you a good running start.

A prototype provides other advantages, as well:

1. It enables you to test and refine the functionality ofyour design. Sure, your idea works perfectly in theory. It’snot until you start physically creating it that you’ll encounterflaws in your thinking. That’s why another great reason to developa prototype is to test the functionality of your idea. You’ll neverknow the design issues and challenges until you begin actuallytaking your idea from theory to reality.

2. It makes it possible to test the performance of variousmaterials. For example, your heart may be set on usingmetal–until you test it and realize that, say, plastic performsbetter at a lower cost for your particular application. Theprototype stage will help you determine the best materials.

3. It’ll help you describe your product more effectivelywith your team, including your attorney, packaging or marketingexpert, engineers and potential business partners.

4. It will encourage others to take you more seriously.When you arrive with a prototype in hand to meet anyprofessional–from your own attorney to a potential licensingcompany–you separate yourself from the dozens of others who’veapproached them with only vague ideas in mind. Instead, you’ll beviewed as a professional with a purpose, as opposed to just aninventor with a potentially good idea.

So now that you know that creating a prototype is a vital stepin your invention process, how exactly do you move forward andactually do it? This stage in the inventing process is possibly theperiod of greatest learning. This is where your words and thoughtschange from “Can I?” to “How will I?”

Making a prototype by hand is a great way to start bringing yourproduct to life. Remember, there are no rules! Give yourselfpermission to experiment. Look around the house and selectmaterials that you can use to test to see if your idea works.

If you anticipate your product will be made from plastic,there’s a great product out there that’s ideal for creating plasticprototypes. It’s called Shapelock. When heated in the microwave orwith your hair dryer, it becomes pliable, kind of like clay, so youcan mold it any way you’d like. When dry, it becomes a hardplastic. The best part? It’s inexpensive, and you can reheat it andreuse it again and again. Find it at www.shapelock.com.

Of course, your product could also be made from any number ofmaterials, ranging from metals to chemicals to textiles. When usingany material, try to be open to alternatives you may not haveoriginally considered. For example, you may be convinced that youwant to use cotton. If this is the case, challenge yourself byasking “Why?” Perhaps another material might work better, such as astretch material like Lycra. Or how about using mesh, canvas, nylonor leather? What about taking a leap and trying Neoprene? This isthe time to say “What if” and allow yourself the freedom toexplore. Put aside your original thoughts–you may end up comingback to them, but at least then you’ll know you’ve made the bestdecision.

Once you’ve developed your prototype as far as you reasonablycan, it’s time to consider hiring a professional to help you withthe next steps. There are many avenues you can take at this stage.You may wish to hire professional prototype developers, engineersand designers, but others may be able to help you as well,including a handyman, a machinist or a student from a localindustrial design college. The complexity and materials to be usedin your specific product will help drive this decision. Your budgetmay also be a consideration–a handyman or machinist, for example,will probably charge much less per hour than an engineer, and theirservices may be perfectly sufficient if your design is relativelystraightforward.

If you do decide to go with a professional prototype developer,there are a few ways to find them. You could try the Yellow Pagesfirst, or you could try searching on www.thomasnet.com(formerly known as www.thomasregister.com), a one-stop resourcewith all the information you need. It offers a database of 650,000manufacturers, distributors and service providers–includingprototype developers–to choose from, broken down by state. In amatter of minutes, you can find the expertise you’re lookingfor.

You should also do your research and consider new and emergingtechnologies. For example, there’s a relatively new method ofprototype production out there called rapid prototyping,which uses a technology called stereolithography. It enablesyou to have plastic prototypes made quickly from computer-aideddrawings (CAD) by a large tooling machine, rather than from anexpensive injection mold. Rapid prototypes can cost as little as afew hundred dollars each (depending on complexity), but they’reoften a bargain considering the alternatives. For example, creatingan injection mold for a product in the Unites States can costanywhere from $10,000 to $100,000.

The prototyping stage is a great time to use all your untappedcreative ability and to explore all the possibilities that are onthe market. Don’t limit yourself to any preconceivednotions–whether it comes to material use or the types ofprofessionals you can consult–and explore as much as you can asyou begin bringing your product idea to life.