In case you need a refresher, get caught up on our Young Inventors series here.
IDEAZ is committed to elevating youth invention and entrepreneurship. As part of that commitment, the IDEAZ team selected Addison at the National Invention Convention to engage in the process of furthering her invention, the Out-Fit. The Out-Fit is an innovative hanger that expands as a child's clothing gets larger, solving the worldwide problem of reducing plastic waste that ends up in landfills.
We met with Addison on August 15 at our offices in Glastonbury, CT to brainstorm solutions for her invention.
Below, Addison is pictured with Andrew Reed, a senior industrial designer at IDEAZ along with the 3D printer which will be used to print Addison’s prototype.
As the summer winds down, Addison has been busy with her assigned "homework". She conducted over 25 hours of market research both online and in retail stores -- not the typical way a 12 year old spends her summer vacation! During our August 15 meeting, Addison presented an impressive 12-page report of her findings to the IDEAZ team.
Together, we then quantified the functional requirements, conducted a user empathy exercise for end-users and retailers, brainstormed concepts with considerations for durability, ease of use, design, cost and environmental impact, and selected a final approach for further development.
Why are we committed to supporting young inventors? Not only do we believe that no one is too young to become an entrepreneur, but because we receive statements like this from Addison's family:
"She is gaining fantastic life and business skills as she participates in video/conference calls with this team of polished professionals. The team at IDEAZ is very kind and respectful to her in this capacity, expecting and encouraging her to fully participate and contribute every step of the way."
Oh -- and did we mention that Addison now is considering a career in engineering? We couldn't be more proud that we're supporting an aspiring young entrepreneur with a fantastic idea.
Stay tuned for the next Young Inventors update where we'll share the concepts and the prototype we're creating together.
Interested in getting involved with supporting young inventors? Get in touch with us.
