We get it: sometimes it’s hard to find new ideas for products, or the ideas just don’t feel right. It can feel confusing not knowing what direction you want to go with your product creation process. At the end of the day, however, the time that you put into masterminding your product is some of the most important. It’s for that reason that we’ve compiled this list of 5 strategies for coming up with new ideas for products.
Take Inventory Of Older Ideas You’ve Had
This one may seem counter-intuitive, but I assure you it’s not! Over your lifetime as a product creator, we bet that you have thought of a bunch of new ideas. Of those ideas, you likely shelved quite a few of them while you created another product.
Here’s your moment to look back at those ideas you’ve placed aside and see if there are any serviceable ones. Maybe the time wasn’t right for them before, but it is now. Or perhaps you didn’t have the resources needed to pull off these ideas but now with the help of product design services you do.
Take inventory, and figure out if you don’t have to look anywhere for a new idea, maybe you’ve had it all along.
Brainstorm Time!
Nothing in your old collection of product ideas? Well, now it’s time to brainstorm! Get together with your friends, family, partner or anyone else that’s interested in helping and get to it! Don’t be shy, just start throwing ideas out there and bouncing them off of each other.
Think about it, after just one session of rapid-style brainstorming you could have all sorts of ideas written down that any product design companies could help you develop! Maybe not every idea you write down will be a winner, but I’m sure you’ll get a few serviceable product ideas out of this process. This is one of the most fun and rewarding parts of the product design process.
Think About Potential Additions To Existing Products of Yours
Maybe the product you’re looking for isn’t a completely new product at all! What if an add-on product to one of your existing, well-selling products is the answer?
Look at your selection of existing products that sell well and brainstorm again! Is there anything you could sell that would work as an addition to these products.
Say one of your best products is a stylish, portable speaker. What if the product you’ve been searching for is a sleek storage case to keep those speakers protected and safe from the elements. Product design companies can easily help you design a product like this, and the profits could be well worth it!
When you create complimentary products, this creates an entirely new opportunity to sell to people who are already your customers or sell even more to people who have never bought before.
Observe Your Product Industry in Day-To-Day Life
Yes, you’ll likely be selling most of your product online, but really opening your eyes up to the world around you can help you understand what products real people are using.
Go on a recon mission to find out what’s doing well. Say you sell clothes, you could go to a hip clothing store and see what is hot right now. Observe the people coming in and out of the store as well, they likely have different clothes that could catch your attention.
For most people looking for product design services, a local niche electronics store could give you good ideas for what products to pursue.
Watch Influencers of Your Industry
Influencers exist for every conceivable industry. If you’ve been in your industry for a while, it’s very likely you know who they are. Check them out, follow them, watch the trends they are following.
If you don’t know any influencers or want to find a new one, then google them. If you sell video game accessories, then search: “best video game accessories” and look to the pages you find to see if anything catches your eye.
If you find a great blog or influencer in the process, then bookmark them as a source of great inspiration.
So there you have it, some of our favorite product design companies’ suggestions for finding new product ideas. As always, when you’ve found that idea, come back to DesignStein Studios and we’ll turn that idea into reality!