4 Important Prototype Creation Tips
Many a time the ideas for various inventions die in the prototype stage itself. Inventors spend a big amount of money as legal fees to get their patent approved, but later get to know that their idea was not sustainable or that the manufacturing cost of the product will be higher than what the customers will willingly spend on it. This is because things were not planned the right way to help you build your prototype the right way and with minimal costs therefore given below are some helpful tips that you can start following right away.
1. Make a tangible prototype
It is with an idea that your patent journey begins. Your idea should be such that you can convey it in a visual way, be it through computer graphics or animation, or by sketching or designing it on paper. At times, things look good as a design or look great on paper, but as you start putting it together you understand that this will not work. As your patent will be based on the material you will use, it will be a good idea to use the graphic and make a tangible prototype. This will help make sure that your patent does not get rejected for not working correctly.
2. Create the prototype yourself
If you create the prototype yourself, you will properly understand how the product is made, if the invention is feasible, and also what kind of manufacturer will be best for the purpose. If you hire a manufacturer to make the prototype for you then you will have to spend a big amount, so instead, check if you can create the prototype using products that you can get from a hardware store.
3. Figure out the retail value of your product
Many a time people have a great idea to work on but they do not know what price they should quote for the same. An important invention prototypes tip is to figure out what should be the price of your product, and to do so you first need to calculate how much you will spend on making the product. Together with taking into account the cost of the product materials, consider the labor expenses or the price you will have to give the manufacturer for creating it, and also the distribution and wholesale costs. Look at volume, and try making use of less priced products. If you buy materials in bulk, the per-head price of the products will go down. The next thing that you need to do is search for similar products in the market and check out their price. Your price needs to be competitive, but at the same time, you must be able to make profits.
4. Never share your ideas with your manufacturer
Yet another important invention prototyping tip is to not let your manufacturer know about your ideas. It will be best to take help of at least a few manufacturers to create one prototype for you but do not tell them what the different parts are meant to do, as this will risk your ideas from being stolen. You may hire a single manufacturer to make the complete prototype, but this should happen only after you make them sign a nondisclosure agreement.
Now that you are aware of some important prototype creation tips, without further wait carefully start following them, create your prototype, get your patent approved, start selling your invented products, and open doorways to great profits.