10A: Elevator Pitch

9a: Testing the hypothesis part 2

9A:  Testing the Hypothesis Part 2

Interviews:

1.     Grandfather: When pitching the idea to my grandfather, he was interested in the idea, but claimed he had bought a hanging extension for his bedframe that had a cup holder as well as remote holder, etc. He said that most of the time he spent at home was in his bed and that would really be the only place he’d need a device to prevent spilling, and that he already had one.

2.     Yael (friend’s mother): As the former owner of a premium paddle board company, Yael had more to add onto the idea, as well as where it wouldn’t work. In water sports, rocking back and forth isn’t unusual. She said that making a suction koozie would be great for surfers, and paddle boarders, who spend a lot of time on their boards in a single use. However, she developed and sold boards with built in cup holders, as many water sports devices, including boats and jet skis, have already. If I wanted to advertise to this group, it would a very small market.

3.     Justin (close friend and dog owner): After pitching the idea to my friend, he liked how enthusiastic I was, but wasn’t buying into it. As the owner of a small dog, he didn’t see the dog as a problem. He also wasn’t going to admit to that inevitable event of knocking your cup over on your own.

4.     Uncle Dirk: As the father of two small boys, I thought it would a good idea to get his feedback on the product. His response was that he can get covered sipping-cups for such a low price from any store. They prevent spills and, because they’re so cheap, he doesn’t have to worry about breaking them or anything, as well as them being dishwasher safe. However, when I asked about adults, he thought it was a great idea, seeing as most adults don’t want to drink from a cup made for children.

5.     Mickie (close friend and dog owner): As the owner of a large dog, same breed as my own, I thought her feedback on pet application would be good. She stressed the idea of training your dog to be more cautious around the living room table, and when that isn’t possible, just move your cups to the center.

Inside:	Outside:
Who’s In? Owners of large dogs (or curious cats) that knock your drinks over onto your table. Humans who make the clumsy mistake, whether in the living room or bedside table, to knock their drink over.	Who’s Not? Most athletes, or outdoorsman, who have alternatives to a separated koozie for their drinks. People who refuse to admit to the mistake of knocking their drink over.
What the need is? To prevent the spilling of drinks to protect furniture, electronics (or other valuables), or to conserve the remainder of your drink when it isn’t readily available. (a cupholder that can be applied to any surface).	What the need is not? An ordinary cupholder because they have already been built into many objects and vehicles.
Why it exists? People don’t want to damage their products or waste their time cleaning up a problem that could be easily avoided.	Alternative explanations? People don’t want to admit to their clumsiness, and also would rather buy existing products that they know would work.

Assignment 8A: Solving the Problem

The problem that I have decided to tackle is that of dishware, specifically cups, being knocked over either by one’s self or their pet. This seems to be a major problem, whether it’s a cup on the living room table or your bedside table. We’ve all made that clumsy mistake in the middle of the night; reaching over to grab your cup and take a sip of water in the dark, but knocking it over instead, leaving your table, floor, and whatever belongings you had on that table in danger of being soaked. Seeing as many people keep expensive electronics next to their bed, this problem can cost an individual a lot of money.

My solution to this problem is the suction koozie: an air pressure activated suction cup that allows you to squeeze the koozie to release pressure and place it on the table, where it will then be stuck. And then to re-squeeze the side of the koozie to release the pressure and pick it back up. This can easily be made into a thermal koozie as well to help maintain preferred temperature. If this koozie can be made adjustable to fit multiple circumferences, it would have an even wider use, as it would fit cans, bottles, and the cups we find in our kitchen.

Overall, this idea aims to solve the problem of the spilled cup, whether your animal is walking near it and swipes it off the table, or if the fault is your own. The Suction-Koozie will be there to prevent it with just a simple squeeze to seal and squeeze to release action.

Assignment 7A: Testing the Hypothesis, Part 1

Many people, especially but not exclusively dog owners, are susceptible to their cups being knocked off of the table whether it is their own fault, their pet’s fault, or the fault some other external force. There’s no safe way to ensure that your cup will stay planted.

My interviews:

1.     My Girlfriend:

Although she is the owner of a small dog, her this dog isn’t the issue. Rather it’s hasty attempts at going to grab an item off of the table, whether it’s her cup, phone, etc.

2.     Roommate #1:

Living with my dog has made this problem a little more frequent in our house. Low coffee tables make it easy for a tail to swipe a cup or can off of the table. This becomes a big problem when we have electronics, whether it’s a phone, computer, remote control, game console, or other objects, resting on the table next to our drinks. A large dog with a long tail makes this an almost regular occurrence.

3.     Roommate #2:

Roommate #2 made almost identical comments to my other roommate. He agreed that this would be helpful in the prevention of the damage to their electronics, as well as our furniture. It also would bring peace of mind.

4.     My father:

I thought it was a good idea to interview someone a little different in age. When I asked what he thought about a cup that can be secured to your table, he thought it was a great idea, citing that he often knocks his full cup onto his bedside table in the dark. It would give him more of an opportunity to at least feel around for his cup without being worried about spilling it.

5.     My Mother:

Again, I figured it was good to get the opinions of another elder, so I interviewed my mom. She shared similar opinions, as she also has a very large, very excited dog who is very good at accidentally making a mess. However, she thought it should be extended to more than just cups themselves, rather it should be something that can hold paints or other glass wear to prevent messes from dogs knocking into the side of the table or directly hitting the object with their tail.

In all, it seemed that these different people shared very similar opinions in terms of how useful the product would be and how it would prevent major damage and spillage. The application to more than just cups was a good idea that I could also integrate into the new product.