Friday, February 17, 2006

Product Design and Development

I love all my classes, but the coolest class this semester has got to be Product Design and Development. Get this, we are asked to come up with a product idea, develop a design and build a prototype. We get a $1000 budget to do all this. Doesn't that sound like fun? I love academia! Where else can you get to dream up your games and play them, too?

In the past, teams have developed some pretty interesting products a few of which have been patented and even commercialized (like the paint jug with the anti-drip pour spout). Our team has settled on a plastic bag dispenser for produce bags used in grocery stores.

"What bugs me though are the plastic bags on a roll, that are available to get bulk items, fruit...etc. Are those what you meant? That would be cool!!", said an enthusiastic user (Hi, sis!) when I explained her what we're trying to do.

Sounds like there's a need in the marketplace! Of course, we've done more research than this. We actually went to the grocery store and watched how people used the plastic bags. It's amazing how many people still try to open the wrong end first. And once they figure out the right end, it still takes them a few seconds to open the bag. Here's one unhappy shopper who always forgets which end is up (this is Ziv, our teammate who came up with the idea for this product).


Well, our goal is to make everyone's shopping experience more enjoyable by designing a dispenser that will allow you to pull and open the bag with one hand. How about that!? Watch for a DispensEase at a grocery store near you.

5 Comments:

Blogger Ilana Reeves said...

I'm excited. The class looks like a lot of fun. Hopefully, all of our ideas make it through to the next round!

1:28 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

When's your final project presentations?

5:40 PM  
Blogger sorinescu said...

If not, you can join our team, Ilana :)

The down-select presentations are scheduled for March 16 and 21. The top 10 ideas will remain and the "losing" teams (there are now losers, of course) will be disbanded and merged with the remaining teams.

9:42 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

I meant the final final presentations at the end of the semester...

9:21 AM  
Blogger sorinescu said...

Saturday May 13. Mark it in your calendar

11:05 AM  

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