Whether you want to believe it or not, it’s the start of a brand-new week. Along with this clean slate come the opportunities to take the necessary steps to turn your inventing dreams into a reality.

Stepping outside of your comfort zone takes courage and today we’re sharing with you feedback from three clients who have done just that – stepped outside of their comfort zone to start their dream-chasing journey.

See for yourself!

“If it wasn’t for Davison, my idea would still be in my head, not on the road to success.”

“I want to thank Davison and his crew of experts who are helping develop my idea.”

“Thank you on all your hard work.”

Are you ready to take the first step toward turning your inventing dream into a reality?

If you’re ready to take the first step toward your inventing dream, submit your invention idea today!

Copyright Davison, 2016

The typical client project is not licensed, sold in stores or profitable.

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For over 25 years, we’ve been helping innovative people get their products on store shelves. In fact, our products have sold in over 1,200 stores.

This feat wouldn’t have been possible if it wasn’t for our customer obsession and by that we mean our clients – the inventors.

In a recent article published on the Huffington Post titled, Customer Obsession is the New Design, our customer-driven mindset was echoed.

Airbnb’s head of design, Alex Schleifer, started a critical conversation about why design-led companies simply don’t work.

The head of design at a lucrative company is saying that design-led companies aren’t any good? Though this claim may be a bit befuddling, at the core of this argument is a larger conversation, one that’s rooted in the customer.

In the article, Rich Nadworny, Principal at Empatico, design consulting, argues that companies need more people who are “Customer Obsessive” and to use design tools to invent new things, new processes and ultimately, new experiences.

“If you’re customer obsessive, you must know what matters to someone else. You feel the drive to solve their problem first as a way of solving yours. That’s where innovation that matters happens,” he said.

Nadworny made note of something that stuck out, the idea of feeling the need and the desire to solve the customer’s problem first as a way of solving yours.

The notion of solving problems is at the core of inventions; and, at Davison, we work diligently every day to help our clients find a Better Way to do something through their problem-solving inventions.

That’s why this article reminded us of the Davison Inventing Method, a process that’s solely focused on our clients and their ideas.

Our work at Davison wouldn’t be possible if it weren’t for the creative minds of our clients, the inventors, who take a chance on their inventions and work with us to possibly turn their dreams into reality.

So in the end, we think it’s perfectly fine to have a healthy obsession with being customer obsessive.

Copyright Davison, 2015

A typical project does not get a royalty agreement, sell in stores or generate a profit.

Sources:

• Huffingtonpost.com

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“Stick a knife in it!” “Smack the bottom.” “Hold it at a 45-degree angle and tap the 57.” Every ketchup connoisseur has their own technique for coaxing the tomato topping slowly out of a newly opened bottle. But things can get down right dangerous as diners flail around trying to get the last ounce of this creeping condiment from the bottom of the bottle.

Well, the painstaking process of topping our burgers and fries may be over.

From the people who brought you a mapping of the human genome and Bose sound systems comes LiquiGlide — “a revolutionary super-slippery coating to liberate your ketchup” – from a group of MIT engineers.

MIT PhD candidate Dave Smith and his team of mechanical engineers and nano-technologists from the Varanasi Research Group have put hundreds of years of bottle-beating debates to rest, creating bottle surfaces from which condiments simply glide onto your plate.

According to the LiquiGlide website, the coating is made entirely from food materials; no nanoparticles to worry about. “Even if you scraped off the coating with a knife and ate it, it would be completely harmless and flavorless.”

Varanasi’s innovative way to package condiments will hopefully make life easier in the future.

In the meantime, check out these Davison products that already do.

RV Leveler

We don’t want our vacations to turn into work. So Davison created the RV Leveler, a two-part product that enables users to quickly determine whether their motorhome is level. The RV Leveler’s base communicates wirelessly with a corresponding handheld device. The four-light LED display on the remote unit enables the user to see immediately where adjustments are needed.

Hover Creeper

Working on cars is tough enough. Navigating underneath them shouldn’t be. Traditional automotive creepers have wheels that get stuck in floor cracks and shift wildly over bolts or other loose parts that frequently break, leaving a mechanic stuck. Instead of trying to roll over an uneven or cracked garage floor, the new Hover Creeper literally hovers slightly above it.

Better Tether

It’s a doggone shame that some pet owners leave their pups twisted around trees or poles outside without food or water. Well, this Better Tether is placed in-ground, eliminating obstacle to pets, humans and machines. The divided food and water bowl can never be tipped over, and the unit never has to be moved for the lawnmower.  Also, a big congratulations to the winner of our Better Tether Giveaway, Stephanie Shreve Baker!  We hope your pup really enjoys it!

In the future, when you make a burger with the Fill N’ Grill, it will be much easier to put Ketchup in the middle. Try some bacon too.

A typical project does not get a royalty agreement, sell in stores or generate a profit.

The post Time for Technology to ‘Ketchup’ with Condiments appeared first on Davison.

Mr. Davison would like to send a sincere thank you to everyone who joined him to celebrate the premiere of the History Channel’s “Inventionland” reality show at Hoffstot’s in Pittsburgh on Christmas Eve.  Those who joined in the premiere party enjoyed festive drinks and one awesome show!

As you may have imagined, news of the show premiere has made it near and far!  
 
The Sacramento Bee announced the premiere, so west coast viewers could tune in!  Breitbart.com, an online publication that offers real-time access to top news and analysis sources, also announced the “Inventionland” premiere!

We also saw online posts about “Inventionland” on Hartford, Connecticut’s Eyewitness 3 News, NorthcentralPA.com, Its Reality TV and at Snazzy Itemz!  

Of course, we made the social media circuit, too!  Check out one of our Twitter follower’s comments below:

“Creative minds will want to watch the History Channel’s new reality show:  inventionland.com/about.html.” 

 Finally, if you watched the show, you know that the company, Step 2, licensed a product idea from our client, Milton, for a cooler that keeps your beach umbrella securely anchored in the sand while you’re enjoying a day at the beach!  Well, check out their website, which showcases the “Shade Cooler, as seen on the History Channel’s TV Show ‘Inventionland.’”  AWESOME!

Now, we have high hopes that the History Channel will be showing the premiere again soon!  Thank you so much to everyone who helped to make the show such a success!

The post As Seen on TV: Inventionland!! appeared first on Davison.

That’s right, the TheraPED has been selected as one of the exclusive items to be included in the gift bags given to artists who perform during the 45th Annual CMA Awards on November 9th!

Health Enterprises President Brendan Leonard shared the exciting news with us and said he hopes country’s leading ladies pamper themselves with the fashionable, refreshing products.

“We hope the female recipients have an opportunity to relax and enjoy TheraPED’s soothing relief after the show,” Leonard said.

We’d have to agree with Kenny Chesney, we can’t wait to see their refreshed feet and “toes in the sand,” thanks to these awesome Davison-designed products!

The client has not made a net profit on this product. A typical project does not get a royalty agreement, sell in stores or generate a profit.

The post TheraPED to Share Stage on “Country Music’s Biggest Night!” appeared first on Davison.

“It’s really great that they won the awards, especially since they’re picked by retailers,” said Davison’s Vice-President of Licensing. “They were up against competition from all the big names in the pet industry and they took first and third place — that’s a pretty good day at the office.”

Photos and write-ups of both products, along with their placements in the contest, are featured in this month’s PPNI issue. The president of Hugs Pet Products said he was blown away when he heard about the awards.

“This is awesome and huge for our company. It shows that all of the hard work we have done to bring new, different and innovative products to the pet market is paying off. We will continue to strive to do this with future products we are currently developing. It is truly an honor to be selected out of great companies and products on the market. We are very excited!” he said.

Formerly known as the Low-Pro, Davison designed the Better Tether in collaboration with our client, Ed, to offer a more humane and convenient way to tether a dog outdoors. The innovative tethering device provides a constant source of food and water that cannot be spilled and never has to be moved for the lawnmower!

The Silicone Dog Treat Pan, a spin-off of the Silicone Dessert Bar Pan that Davison designed in collaboration with our client, Joseph, allows pet owners to make dog-bone-shaped treats for their canine companions. It even comes with several paw-lickin’ good recipes!

Undoubtedly, getting these products developed and to market was a team effort. From the client to the corporate design teams, many people had a hand in their success.

“I am happy to hear that these products are winning such acclaim,” said Davison’s Corporate Creative Coach. “I’m proud of the team for sure. I bet the clients will be pumped to hear the news! It’s a nice piece of outside confirmation that these products are as awesome as we all think they are.”

Congratulations to everyone who worked on these awesome, award-winning products!

A typical project does not get a royalty agreement, sell in stores or generate a profit.

The post Bow WOW! Two Davison-Designed Pet Products Win Retailers’ Top Pick Awards! appeared first on Davison.

“They offered a small bag with handles to use for this, but I found these to be inadequate,” said Kathy.

Kathy, a busy medical assistant and office manager, needed a more efficient and sanitary way to dispose of her pup’s waste.  It didn’t take Kathy and her husband long to come up with a solution, sealable mitts that ensured easy disposal; but, they didn’t necessarily have the support of their family from the start.

“We came up with this idea about one month later… When I told my family, they didn’t really think I could make this happen,” said Kathy.  “I have had ideas in the past, but never acted on them, because I didn’t have the time or finances to make it happen.”

Proving skeptical family wrong, Kathy’s husband began researching invention companies and they decided to go with a hometown option.

“After contacting Davison and getting their input, we slowly got this idea off the ground. Of course, we didn’t know what to expect,” said Kathy.

Davison designers worked diligently with Kathy and her husband to develop Potty Paws, anti-microbial, paw-shaped mitts that easily slip on, then turn inside out and zip shut for mess-free waste disposal.

Eventually, the mitts were licensed by Hugs Pet Products, an innovative company devoted to enhancing the lives of pets and their owners by delivering cutting edge pet products.

It may not have happened overnight, but Kathy said she always believed in her idea and she had some advice for other inventors who may have doubts.

“I believe there is always room for a new product for the consumer to try.  You do need to be patient and be ready to put in the time and money.  There is no guarantee that your idea will be a great product, so be ready for anything,” said Kathy.

Sadly, Kathy’s husband passed away during their invention process, but she said she knows he would be thrilled with the finished product.

“I have had more communication with the Davison group than my late husband and they have kept me informed every step of the journey and have shown much kindness [over] the loss I have had… Seeing my product for sale is the reality of the dream we both had.  I would certainly do it again,” said Kathy.

Congratulations Kathy, the adorable product has been a “paws-itive” success!

The client has not realized a net profit on this product. A typical project does not get a royalty agreement, sell in stores or generate a profit.

The post Meet Kathy, Potty Paws Inventor appeared first on Davison.

A description and picture of the dish, which was licensed by Hugs Pet Products, appear on the FIDO Friendly blog, along with a video which shows the product trial in-progress.

FIDO Friendly’s testing team said the dish is great for traveling with your dog, relaxing outside on the patio or taking your pup on a picnic.

“Fido will be able to access his food or water all day long.  You won’t have to worry about it going bad, getting spoiled or getting any nasty germs in it,” one reviewer said.

The reviewers noted the Auto Pet Dish’s durable plastic bowl with adjustable lid and sensor, and the way it automatically opens whenever four-legged friends come near, then closes almost instantly when they’re done.

“This is something that’s really cute, unique, different and if you’re looking for a solution for your pet feeding needs, this is something that Fido Friendly had fun testing and that you might want to try out as well,” a tester said.

It looks like another Davison-designed product is receiving rave reviews!  Congratulations to everyone who worked on this awesome product!

The client has not realized a net profit on this product.

Watch the entire FIDO Friendly Auto Pet Dish trial here!

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“I’m a cautious person,” Maynard explained. “But it turned out great.” In fact, the semi-retiree has a few invention ideas of his own. When asked if he might pursue them, he replied: “With her success, why not?”

Since it hit the market, the number of retailers selling the Cool Cot has been increasing steadily — it is currently in at least 16 stores! Deb and Maynard visited Inventionland a few weeks ago to celebrate her success and meet with Mr. Davison, who presented her with her biggest royalty check to date.

“I was thrilled; it was very nice,” said Deb, who works hard each day running a home day care. “I’m holding that check and I’m just thinking, how do I get to spend this money? I’ll probably put it in the bank and sit on it.”

As we stated in Part 1, Deb wanted to help her dog, Sadie, who was suffering from arthritis, when she came up with her idea. During her visit, Deb also got to see her physical product for the first time, which “was pretty neat.” Unfortunately, Sadie has passed, but “Duke will get to enjoy it,” she said. She thought it might even be put to good use as a place for the preschoolers in her home to sit and take a break from their activities.

During their visit, the couple was given a tour of Inventionland, which was “fascinating.” They were also quite impressed with its inspiring founder.

“Inventionland was a blast; I want to take it home with me,” joked Deb. “Mr. Davison is pretty cool. We had a blast with him today.”

Although it took some time to get it to market, Deb said her experience with Davison, from Sales to Design to Licensing, has been good.

“The Davison staff is great; they’re just awesome,” she said. “Everything that has happened to date has been a very positive experience.”

Before leaving, she offered a bit of advice to other people like herself who have an idea for a new product.

“Get it down on paper, and give Davison a call … I know I made the right decision,” she said. “Those who have an idea and someone is trying to talk them out of it, ignore them and go with your gut.”

Congratulations to our client, to Hugs Pet Products, and to the entire team on the success of the Cool Cot!

A typical project does not get a royalty agreement, sell in stores or generate a profit.

The post Meet the Inventor of the Cool Cot – Part 2 appeared first on Davison.

Deb’s heart ached for her beloved, canine companion, Sadie, who was aging and suffering with arthritis. Sadie, who had been a faithful friend for many years, was becoming more and more uncomfortable, and Deb tried “everything under the sun” to ease the pain in her limbs. She even tried putting zippered plastic bags of warm water in the dog bed, but the only result was a wet bed.

Deb realized that what she needed for Sadie was a more comfortable bed to help cushion her joints. She couldn’t find one in the stores, so she decided to create one herself. She found Davison on the Internet and sent in her idea. Our design team went right to work and developed the concept, while making some modifications to make it more marketable.

Living in Wyoming, which can get brutally hot in the summer, the inventor saw the benefits of the product having a raised bed and mesh cot, which would help pets stay cool and comfortable.

“There’s not a lot you can do for a dog with a thick coat; they get very hot and sticky,” said Deb, who also has a furry Australian Shepherd / Border Collie named Duke. “When Davison told me about the modifications on the product, I went with it because they were for the better.”

The team also designed the Cool Cot to be lightweight, portable, washable, easy to assemble and compact to store. It can even be staked to the ground for added stability, which gave it an extra advantage in the marketplace.

Being transferred to the Licensing Department “was very exciting,” and getting to that stage felt like an accomplishment, said Deb. It didn’t happen overnight, but she was “thrilled” when her idea was licensed by Hugs Pet Products; at the same time, however, she tried not to get her hopes up too high.

“The day I got the call to speak to the Vice President of Licensing, I was excited at first, then I thought, ‘Wait a minute, don’t get your hopes up,'” she recalled. “When I got off the phone I was really excited; I told my husband right then. I was happy about it and kind of giggled about it. When I got the agreement in the mail, that made it hit home.”

What made it even more real was receiving her first check from the sale of her invention.

“Getting my first royalty check was amazing; it was very exciting. That’s when everything really hit home.”

Check Part 2 of this story about our client, Deb, and her pet-friendly invention!

A typical project does not get a royalty agreement, sell in stores or generate a profit.

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