Recently, the Wall Street Journal published an article called “Workplace Wonderland,” which featured our creative workplace, Inventionland, and our CEO and founder, Mr. Davison!  Since the article was published, the United Inventors Association of America and Yahoo! Finance both republished the Journal’s post! 

This morning, we’ve got a special message from our CEO and founder, in response to the Wall Street Journal article and all the press that he’s received from it!

“I always dreamed of being in the Wall Street Journal when I was a boy in my teens, reviewing the paper with my grandfather.  This is one of the best days of my life.  A moment to reflect and be grateful for wonderful people who have, are and will shape my life and the Mission of Davison.  Happy New Year!

George… Aka Mr. D”

And, Mr. Davison wasn’t the only one who was impressed with the article… or Inventionland for that matter!  Thanks to Yahoo! Finance, who reposted “Workplace Wonderland,” many admirers have shared their comments on “America’s largest invention factory!”

We’ve listed ten of the most creative comments below: 

From Texas to Maryland to… Sweden… everyone’s noticing Inventionland!  So cool!

It’s quite an exhilarating feeling when you have an idea and you work really hard to bring it to the world.  Having an idea, like all my clients out there, is something that we share in common. 

Something very special is happening here in the next couple of days.  An idea I had for a reality TV show about what we do will be airing on the History Channel at noon on Saturday, December 24th.

As I’m sitting here working with my team, they are telling me that I have it too good, because it’s my birthday on December 23rd, the show airs on the 24th and Christmas is the 25th!  So, this is going to be three days of bliss!

For me, though, the reward is getting the opportunity to have that feeling that idea people get when the world comes in contact with their creation for the first time.  It’s kind of like that tingle when you’re a kid waiting for Santa to arrive!  It’s truly going to be a magical holiday this season.

Happy holidays to all you idea people out there who dare to create something new!

- George M. Davison, Founder & CEO of Davison and Founder of Inventionland

With the recent release of Apple’s latest version of the iPhone and all the other recent technological advancements, it is obvious, innovation is king!

So, how could someone have an excuse for not at least trying to be innovative? 

We found 100 lame excuses that people give to NOT innovate!  We’ve picked 15, but you can read the entire list here!

Heard any of these before?

1.  It’s an idea too far ahead of its time.

2.  We’re in a down economy.

3.  I’m getting close to retirement.

4.  I’ve never done anything like this before.

5.  I’ve tried before and failed.

6.  I’m not sure how to begin.

7.  Maybe next year.

8.  I’m just not the creative type.

9.  I’m not good at presenting my ideas.

10.  I don’t have the time.

11.  We’re not in the kind of business likely to innovate.

12.  No one, besides me, really cares about innovation.

13.  I won’t be able to get enough resources.

14.  If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

15.  Nothing ever changes around here.

What excuses will they think of next?!    Read all 100 excuses here – they even included ways to move beyond the excuses at the bottom of the page!

Whether you’re looking to quickly jot down an idea, find inspiration for new ideas or learn more about what’s happening in the invention world today — there’s an app for it!

We’ve scoured the app store to find must-have inventor apps.  Without question, our favorite is Davison’s Inventionland app, which, just like America’s largest invention factory, inspires creators to dream and pursue their ideas!

For your viewing pleasure, here are 10 more top invention apps:

Get Inspired

IDEO Method Cards — Developed by IDEO, a top product design and development firms, this app includes 51 cards that help inspire design and creativity.

FitMind Creative Thinking — Exercising your mind is simple with this app!  It includes multiple programs that simulate frequencies, allowing your mind to relax and engage in creative thinking.

Organize Your Ideas

Evernote — With this app, you can document your ideas by writing notes, snapping photos or recording voice memos.  Remembering your idea has never been easier!

Idea Sketch — Have a more complex idea?  This app allows you to diagram your idea by organizing your thoughts into a color-coded mind map, concept map or flow chart.

Sketch it Out

ZeptoPad — When words are just simply not enough, this app allows you to sketch out your invention idea by creating vector images.

EazyDraw — Complete with multiple drawing screens, drawing scales, English & metric units, CMKY and RGB colors, this app is a great tool for sketching out a vector visualization of your idea.

Educate Yourself

Famous Inventions and Patents — Learn about the inventions that changed the world!  This app includes full text descriptions and technical drawings of some of history’s most important inventions.

Inventions News — Keep up to date with the latest invention-related news, videos, articles and columns.

Inventors Handbook — This app is perfect for any inventor who has a brilliant idea, but doesn’t know what to do next.

Patent Legal Coach — Learn everything you need to know about applying for a patent.  This app guides users through every step of the patent process – from search, drawings and claims to written description.

Next time you’re searching for fresh apps, don’t forget that creativity and innovation are only a finger click away!

The Senate has deemed it so! In a unanimous May 3, 2011 vote, the U.S. Senate approved an immediate resolution that made May – National Inventors Month! Similar to many inventions, the month-long celebration actually began as one idea, was improved upon and turned into another!

Previously, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the inventing community and the general public had accepted and celebrated August as National Inventors Month. With Senate approval, the move to May allows for greater inventor recognition in schools and more opportunities to inspire and celebrate innovation across the nation! In honor of this creative month, we did some digging and found some fun trivia about some very familiar inventions!

Did you know:

- The British inventor of the World Wide Web never patented his technology, because he was afraid it would become too expensive to use and the Web would never go world-wide!

- The formula for Coca-Cola has never been patented! Only selected company employees know the secret recipe!

- The grocery store owner who invented the shopping cart hired fake shoppers to push the invention around his store, because his customers didn’t want to give up their baskets!

- Long before the iPhone and iPad, the first Apple computer was born in Steve Jobs’ parents’ garage and Jobs had to sell his car to raise funds for his first commercial order!

- Parker Brothers execs initially passed on the Monopoly game because it took too long to play; but, the company president got his hands on a copy, stayed up until 1 a.m. to play it one night and he was hooked! The rest is history!

Many people know that Thomas Jefferson was the 3^rd president of the United States, the author of the Declaration of Independence and the founder of the University of Virginia, but not everyone associates him with being a successful inventor.

Jefferson created many well-known inventions such as the polygraph, the pedometer and the hideaway bed. Some of his most interesting inventions; however, are perhaps those that few have heard about. Check out a few of these inventions that are on display at the Monticello in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Moldboard of Least Resistance — A moldboard is the curved part of a plow that turns over the soil. Jefferson designed it so that it was light enough to be pulled by two small horses or mules with little effort. Because this was such a revolutionary invention at the time, France’s Society of Agriculture awarded him a gold metal for the design.

The Great Clock — This innovative clock was powered by two sets of cannonball-like weights that were eighteen pounds each. These weights drove its ticking noise and the gong that sound on the roof. The clock also revealed each day of the week and was wound every Sunday with a key to restart its weekly cycle. The Great Clock was designed by Jefferson; however, we must credit Peter Spruck for its development.

Spherical Sundial — Although original sundials are thought to have originated around 3500 B.C.,  Jefferson is credited to inventing the first spherical sundial — which was considered a novelty in its time. The horizontal lines were drawn for the Tropic of Cancer, the Equator, and the Tropic of Capricorn. The vertical lines that extended from tropic to tropic represented the hours of the day — indicated by Roman numerals below the Tropic of Capricorn.

There is no doubt that Jefferson was a president that strived on innovation — his own inventions are great indicators of his this. There is no better time than on his birthday to recognize how important his life and accomplishments were to both the U.S. and the rest of the world.

Women all over the world unite during March to celebrate National Women’s History Month. Throughout history, women have made significant contributions to innovation. Many products that we commonly use today, such as windshield wipers, the circular saw, hydrometer and liquid paper, were invented by women.

At Davison, we’ve come to realize that the best inventors are just everyday people who have found a solution to a problem in their routine tasks – like female inventor, Bette Nesmith Graham.

Bette Nesmith-Graham — Liquid Paper

Bette was an executive secretary in Dallas who was often frustrated by the fact that one simple typing error resulted in having to retype the entire document. As an inspiring artist, Bette found inspiration in the way painters correct their mistakes by simply painting over them. She thought the same theory could apply to her typing, so one day she took a bottle of her white tempera water-based paint and a paintbrush with her to work. Not long after, other secretaries in her office began asking for her mistake correcting liquid.

Eventually, Bette realized her creation could help typists like her around the country. She turned to her son’s high school chemistry teacher for helping developing a more suitable substance. In 1956, Bette sought help from friends and family to bottle and sell the product which was then called “Mistake Out.” By 1967, Bette’s invention was renamed “Liquid Paper” and had turned into a million-dollar business.

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It’s women inventors like Bette who are truly inspirational. They are ordinary people with extraordinary ideas. Davison has helped several women inventors just like her. Below are three stories of everyday women who had an idea and came to us for help developing it into a product.

Jean — The Meatball Baker

Jean wanted an easier and healthier way to cook meatballs. She came to us with the idea and we helped her design it. In 2008, Jean received the good news that her idea was licensed by Xtraordinary Home Products. The  Meatball Baker sold out in the first half hour of its debut on QVC. Since then, the Meatball Baker has sold in Bed Bath & Beyond, A.C. Moore, Avon, Sky Mall and many online retailers.

Sharon — The Cool Cot House

Sharon often went camping and wanted a comfortable, convenient shelter for her pets to use. She could not find a product currently on the market that would solve this problem, so she decided to invent it herself. The finished product, the Cool Cot House, features a water-resistant tent with a vented roof, raised bed and mesh cot designed to keep dogs and cats cool and dry. In 2010, Sharon shared her inventing story on Lifetime TV’s “The Balancing Act” alongside Davison CEO, George Davison, and the president of Hugs Pet Products — the company that licensed the Cool Cot House.

Joy — The Party Traveler

Joy loved going to get-togethers, but always had a problem transporting the deviled eggs she prepared from her house to the party. She searched for proper containers in stores and came back empty handed. After coming to us for help designing the product, it was licensed by a company looking for new items in their line of functionally unique housewares. The Party Traveler transports not only deviled eggs, but also a variety of other foods, including cupcakes and veggies, in a neat and easy-to-carry tray.

At Davison, we are very proud of these women and their inventions and we look forward to more female inventors and innovative products in the future.

Choosing the best “Rube Goldberg Machine” built by local high school students at the Chain Reaction Contraption Contest at Carnegie Science Center was not easy, but Davison’s VP of Design, Pete, and designer, Clay, were up to the task. They chose the “Gator Vendomator” created by a team from Gateway High School to win the “What Will You Create?” award sponsored by Davison. The contraption made change for a dollar bill in 22 steps using a series of levers.

“It was a really neat machine, with a lot of complicated mechanisms,” said Pete. “If they could automatically reset it, people would be putting dollars into it all day long.”

For winning the award, the winning team and their honors physics classmates were given a tour of Davison’s unique design facility, Inventionland. Gifted coordinator, Jim, thought it was “a once in a lifetime experience” for his students, who “like to think outside the box,” to see how engineering and creativity go hand in hand.

“This is a perfect example of engineering and creativity coming together; I’ve always encouraged that.”

The teacher was hoping his students would be inspired by the visit to pursue their interests in the field of engineering and science; he also thought seeing that they don’t necessarily have to work in a dull office would encourage them.

“Students associate engineering with sitting in an office doing boring work; seeing a place that looks like this can alter their perception,” said Jim. “And having a place like this in Pittsburgh – it’s a treasure, and it’s appropriate because of Pittsburgh’s history of inventing.”

Several students in the class are interested in engineering and “a number of them are just extremely creative. They tend to attack a problem from a different level,” said Lynn, gifted coordinator.

“When we opened up the tour many of them jumped at the chance to come. Having these opportunities out there in the work force, not just the standard engineering job, is inspiring for them — especially in Western Pennsylvania,” she continued. “To have it so close to home and to have the opportunity to see it is an inspiration for the kids to pursue something like this.”

Pete is looking forward to seeing more inventive creations and “chain reaction contraptions” at the next Carnegie Science Center competition — It’s a tough job, but somebody’s got to do it.

“It’s really neat to see the inventions of young people. There was a lot of competition this year,” Pete said. “Every year it gets better and better.”

“The things that make America great are the things we invent. The strength of this nation was formed by idea people and inventors who had the freedom to dream big and create new things.” So begins the new video, “Davison, Making Ideas,” which captures the timeless power of inventing and shows how that spirit is championed by the Davison Inventing Method. We are posting this video as a tribute and an inspiration to idea people everywhere.

“I believe we must believe in a better future, and you start that off by fueling the human spirit,” said George Davison, founder and CEO. “We have spent many years climbing the ladder in this business, and I’m very proud of our team putting together such an inspirational message in this new video. It pays respect to some of our greatest mentors of the past, and transitions us to believe in ourselves and a better future. It’s wonderful when you create something to inspire others. Great work team.”

 As National Inventors’ Month winds down, we continue to celebrate the inventive and creative spirit of inventors who dream of ways to improve the world and then make their dreams a reality, overcoming many obstacles along the way. Their efforts have enriched the lives of millions throughout history and will continue to do so into the future. We pay tribute this month to inventors who relentlessly pursue their dreams, including our clients, several of whom have seen their dreams become reality in the past year. Joy, Jean, Gary and Sharon are just a few who are reaping the rewards of their efforts, while consumers benefit from their inventiveness and determination. Here’s to all of the inventors out there who don’t give up on their dreams! 

Let’s take a look back at some of their stories: 

Our client, Joy, whose Party on the Go was a big hit on QVC, got a wonderful surprise when Mr. Davison and his team visited her in her Colorado hometown to celebrate her success. Joy’s first royalty check was hidden in a Party on the Go platter at a festive picnic held in her honor at Colorado National Monument Park. Read more…  

Our client, Sharon, was featured on ABC affiliate, KXLY, as well as in her hometown newspaper. She described how she came up with her new product idea and told of her amazing visit to Davison. The wife, mother and entrepreneur learned her invention was already selling in Sky Mall and saw the packaged product for the first time during a visit to Inventionland, where her new product was developed. Read more…

Our client, Jean, visited us so we could celebrate her success. At a delicious dinner held in Inventionland of spaghetti and meatballs (prepared in the Meatball Baker), she was presented with a gleaming covered tray that concealed a large royalty check. Jean responded with shock, amazement and tears of joy. Read more…

Our client, Gary, was blown away when he found out his pet care invention, the Dog Wash, was selling in Sky Mall. The sprinkler installer got the great news as an invited guest to Davison in Pittsburgh, PA, where his idea was developed. During a visit to Inventionland, he saw the packaged product for the first time and learned it was already on the market. Read more… 

We look forward to surprising many more of our clients with good news in the future!

The typical new product is not licensed, sold in stores or profitable.