Sunday 22 November 2015

Can Innovation happen with every day items such as a coat hanger?

Absolutely!

The wire hanger was invented in 1869. It wasn't until 66 years later in 1935 when Elmer Rogers added a tube on the lower bar to reduce wrinkles, which is still used today.

Original wire hanger 1869
Introduced with cardboard roller in 1935





During a visit to the Netherlands in the summer of 2015, I met with Spinder Designs, who in partnership with Dutch craftsman Hans Daalder, a well known designer in the Dutch furniture industry, created an innovative way to hang personal items such as clothes, jackets, hats, purses, along with other items with his 2 designed products, the BUG and TICK. These products have been selling in Europe over the last 3 years with great success. 

Unique Home Furnishings, a division of the InnovationDen, is excited to bring the BUG and TICK to the North American Market.

If we go back to the 6 questions of Innovation in the previous blog posting, we can test to see if this is actually innovation or just a good idea.

  1. Is it viable? North Americans have lots of clothes that need to be hung with limited space to do so.

  2. Does it meet a market’s need or want to an extent they never dreamed possible? Space optimization with a fashionable look always sells.

  3. Is there a definable group that needs your innovation? Anyone that has clothes.

  4. If your innovation is a product, are your marketing and sales people excited about it? Yes, having a patented design and trademark provides for a unique product to be successful in todays market.

  5. Are you changing the game? Wire hangers on rods have been around for a long time. A clean design, European aesthetics, and functionality
 make the BUG and TICK hangers ideal for closets, mug rooms, offices, and storage spaces.

  6. How innovative is your idea? On a scale of 1 to 10, I would give it a 6, taking the ordinary wire hanger and replacing with with a creative product that not only save space, but can look like wall art.
Check out the BUG and TICK products at www bugandtick.com


The InnovationDen continues to search for innovative products for al types of industries.




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