BLOG #0010
THE SIMPLIFIED P.R.E.P.S. METHODOLOGY
In the business world, the word disruptive is used to describe a new company, product, or way of doing things that radically changes an existing industry. When you look back, what is your favorite product/company/idea that changed the world as we know it? Perhaps it is something recent, or maybe a little further back in history.
Do you have any favorite inventions that you use personally? Have you ever had an idea for a new product that you wanted to develop? Or perhaps you and your team came up with a new design for an existing product that would disrupt the status quo. The truth of the matter is that ideas are often the easy part. Executing on those ideas, and getting them from concept to the market is actually the hard part.
This is exactly why UNSPACE was formed in 2020: to help individuals and companies take ideas from concept to the manufacturing stage. Knowing just how complicated and multi-faceted this process could get, we developed the P.R.E.P.S Methodology to help our own team and client innovators build road maps to manufacturing readiness.
Let’s make things simple: P.R.E.P.S stands for:
Patent Planning | Research & Design | Engineering & Prototyping | Product Development | Strategy
It’s not a cycle or a process, rather it’s a segmented approach to rapid development where all departments work in sync to maximize a product’s success.
Patent Planning- Do you know anyone who has filed a patent? It can be quite the challenge. At UNSPACE, we have a team with experience navigating the challenges associated with IP. We can help find out if your idea/product is patentable in the first place and following this, we can help file provisional patent applications, assist with USPTO challenges and craft language that will help to protect the legacy of your idea.
Research & Design- We assist our clients with research, feasibility testing, and preliminary drawings. These artifacts will help prepare for the creation of the prototype. We also develop a Cost of Goods estimate or may even consult with a marketing firm for notes on aesthetics and public reception. An understanding of materials and budget may be necessary before any construction of a prototype can proceed.
Engineering & Prototyping- It might be the most obvious, but with engineering and prototyping, UNSPACE constructs or modifies an existing prototype—but it’s not just about building a product demo from a blueprint, it’s also about proving that prototype’s mettle. A finished prototype receives vigorous functional and durability tests before it’s considered finished.
Product Development- Product development is all about readying your prototype for a manufacturer. We help innovators by performing a Customer and Competitor Analysis and provide a Professional Business and Patent Consult. We also conduct a Pre-Manufacturing and Manufacturing Analysis to ensure you and your idea are market ready.
Strategy- At UNSPACE we integrate strategy at every step from the initial customer consult to the hand off for manufacturing . We strive to help our clients identify and maneuver potential challenges and risks. We believe a good strategy prepares a product to be versatile, as one small change can have permutations across an entire project.
If you are an entrepreneur or an inventor looking to bring a new idea to market, give us a call, we’d love to hear more about it. If you are an existing company struggling to get a product on the shelf, we’d love to book a Complimentary Project Consult to learn more.
UNSPACE and The Preps Methodology can help you succeed no matter the state or scope of your disruptive idea.
