Guided product idea generation

This article describes a successful method for getting many good product ideas during a short period of time, which was developed by the patent broker New Products NordInvent (NP) to be used instead of the normal method of spontaneous idea generation. The article is based on a project 'Swede Innovation '81' in which 12 large Swedish companies formulated 64 search profiles and asked all Swedish inventors to invent new products with this guide. NP formulated the original model--which has advantages for the companies, the patent broker and the inventors--and carried through the project on commission from these companies. Out of 2710 product idea contributions sent for evaluation, about ten products will go into production. This figure could have been higher if the companies had been better prepared to receive new products and had had a better knowledge of managing innovations.