Don't Drop the Innovation!

Innovation is a great thing. It makes our lives easier and our selves feel trendy. I came across this really sweet innovation this week, can you guess what it is? No it's not Apple's new OS. It's not a new phone. It's not dresspants sweatpants...though those are kind of nice...Alright, alright I'll tell you. It's soap!!

But seriously, isn't that cool? Some of you are probably shaking your heads at me, but don't even try to tell me you've never gotten frustrated chasing the tiny remnants of your soap bar around the shower. The simplicity behind Stack is what is really so great about the concept. This is a problem so simple, and so common, that you wonder why this is just coming about now. How this will fare against the convenience of body wash is a different story, but I suspect that there are still some bar-soap users that are like, "About damn time."

Anyway, the point of this post isn't soap, because there's also this fantastic pizza plate. IT'S SO USEFUL! The point is, sometimes the simplest ideas are the best. Google can add a new service every month that we end up loving, but where are the people fixing problems that already exist?! These are examples of designing with the consumer in mind, which is really what we need.

If you're looking to come up with the next big thing, take some time to think about the things that you feel certain activities or programs would benefit from or the things that make you want to tear your hair out. Don't forget the tasks you barely even think about when you're doing them: ordering and eating food, hygiene, organizing and cleaning, things related to specific hobbies, the list goes on. Once you've had a good "aha" moment, think about a creative fix for that problem and design it to be intuitive and easily integrated into everyday consumer's lives. The goal, aside from becoming the next successful startup or selling the idea to a major corporation, is to make people do a double-take when they see your idea. You want that wow factor and physical attractiveness that draw people in, but once they find out what it is or what it does, you really want them to go "Holy shit, why didn't I think of that!"

After that you can smile smugly while they give themselves a facepalm or take pride in the fact that you created something that made people's complicated lives just a little simpler. Whichever you prefer.

What are your favorite innovations? Let me know in the comments section below!