Step into Strive

Spring 2006

Creativity And Invention

Remember the redesign of the Shopping Cart for Nightline?

IDEO: See BusinessWeek article on IDEO for more on the IDEO Way, and books in the library too.

List two questions you need to answer before you can build your project:

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List two local organizations or people you could interview or observe before you build your project:

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Creative Juices Flowing...

Collect, compare, conduct evaluations. Visualize, sketch the experience of the user, analyze the flow with sticky notes, observe users in action, shadow users, shoot for the moon, predict the future, empathize, role play, consider all scenarios (come up with at least 5), and analyze human social network involved.

Background Information

While gathering general information and facts...

Make a list of keywords and add to this list as you find more
Follow up on relevant authors, researchers, experts
Gather statistical information to build scope and impact of problem
Consider all perspectives: medical, technical, business-related, technological innovation, etc.

The free web: search engines and other free web sites
Online Encyclopedias: Encyclopedia Britannica Online^*.

How Things Work: The Nuts & Bolts

How Things Work: Searchable database of items from the author of How Things Work: the Physics of Everyday Life
eHow: Clear Instructions on How To Do (just about) Everything - Alarm Systems | eHow: Clear Instructions on How To Do (just about) Everything - Prosthetic Leg | Find Info on Artificial Limbs | How to Choose a Wheelchair
HowStuffWorks.com: Find out how an alarm system works - and tons of other things
Mechanisms and Mechanical Devices Sourcebook ^*

Books, Handbooks

Search the Library Catalog for items @ WPI or WorldCat^* to search beyond our library.

Evaluate...

Evaluating Web Resources Checklist (PDF)

According to a study at Stanford, nearly half of all web site evaluators (46.1%) used visual cues, to assess a site's credibility. Move beyond what a site looks like...

Authority
Scope
Currency
Accuracy

Finding Competing Products and Analyzing the Market

Basics of Patent Searching

How About These Apples: Patent Searching Basics for beginners to get a general understanding of the types of patents and how to search for them.

United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) - Patent Search

Search and review others patents to understand:

technical specifications/innovations
product designs
competitive differences/advantages
players (names of competitors; inventors)

Trouble viewing patent images? Download Alterniff viewer or type patent number into pat2pdf.org site to get a PDF version.

Search the USPTO patent database for a patent related to your design project:

Scan the results, review the drawings of a few by clicking the IMAGES link. Enter patent number into pat2pdf.org if you cannot view the images.
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More time? Find 1 company listed in a patent application and search the web and list their web site if they have products similiar to yours: ___________________________________________________________________
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Companies, Products, and Parts

Search by company or product name to learn more about how their product is selling, are there recalls, problems or issues? Start with LexisNexis Academic^* or EBSCOhost Business Source Premier^* for company or product information within articles and news stories

Manufacturer Directories

Who else makes and sells your product?

Thomas Register of American Manufacturers - search for any type of product
Assisted Living Store Disability Products
The Boulvard Disability Resource Center
Disability Related Products/Services

Product Directories

ABLEDATA: This database contains information on more than 29,000 assistive technology products (over 19,000 of which are currently available). The database contains detailed descriptions of each product including price and company information.
ATNetwork Assistive Technology Tools for Living

Parts and Materials Catalogs

Many firms sells the parts and supplies you will need to build your product. See Machine Design's Basics of Design Engineering and explore the following:

Carr Lane Manufacturing: For component parts of jigs and fixtures.
Grainger.com: Company from which you can purchase over 220,000 MRO supplies and parts.
McMaster-Carr Supply Company: This company's inventory includes over 390,000 products.
MicroPlastics
MSC Industrial Supply
Small Parts
ThomasNet
Tristar Plastics
VWR

Market

Search by industry or product keywords.^* Be creative with synomyns and try product name(s) to learn more about how specific products are selling. Any recalls, problems or issues? What do current consumers think about the product? What preferences are desired? Any surveys or product reviews?

Experts: track down trade associations, scholars/researchers and industry professionals. Search the web: wheelchair association. The Limbless Association or American Orthotic & Prosthetic Association or Wheelchair.Net: Product ans Services for example.

Market Size and Trends: obtain statistical data from government sources on fedstats.gov. Also, track down trade associations, or non-governmental sources on number of people or households that would need this product. Would this product be purchased by an individual or an organization? A web search on wheelchair use statistics will get you to information on the number of people who use them.

Regulations and Standards

Standards: web or article database searches may lead you to some of the standards (they may be mentioned within articles), such as temperatures.com for Standards for Wheelchairs. See our Finding Standards research guide for more on finding standards that apply to your product.
Government Sources: Does any legistation or government agency regulate your product apply that could effect your market (ADA for instance)? For government documents see THOMAS for Legislative information or GPO Access: search federal information from agencies such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for medical devices

Find Articles about Your Topic/Product: A Few Databases to Try

All databases listed are WPI subscriptions. But check out Google Scholar, a web search of scholarly sources.

Filter and Follow Up...

Scan results: use subject headings/descriptors, keywords, phrases found to expand search
Scrutinize article titles, number of pages, and journal title
Browse promising abstract and conclusion sections of long studies
Bibliographies can clue you in on the value of the article as well
Find an interesting author? Search for more articles or for his/her web site
Notice an agency, association or expert mentioned in an article? Follow up!

MEDLINE: The U.S. National Library of Medicine database of articles and abstracts of biomedical journals for medical and health professionals.
Go thru the Tutorial to become a MEDLINE search pro!
Health Reference Center - Academic: Full text from professional medical as well as consumer periodicals, health newsletters, reference books, referral information, and topical overviews.
Thomson PowerSearch: Articles on all topics. Content ranges from popular news to academic research journals. Choose Advanced Search to limit to scholarly research studies.
LEXIS®-NEXIS® Academic: Full text news, legal, medical, and business information. News coverage ranges from regional coverage (Worcester T & G) to national. Premier legal research service, used by lawyers. Also contains information on companies and industries.

Only Finding a Citation? Getting the Full Text

Is the journal online or here in the library? Search our Journals, Magazines, & Newspapers list
Visit another library: Search WorldCat to find one
Request delivery from another library: Interlibrary Loan.

Give Credit! Cite Your Sources

Questions?

Stop by the reference desk of the library for help.

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Last modified: Aug 27, 2007, 16:49 EDT