Students Inspired by Invention Design

Here at MAKO Design + Invent, we believe it is crucial that young people have the means to express their innovative ideas and turn them into inventions. In today’s generation, there is an abundance of creative thinkers, but often times they lack the guidance or simply feel the development process is too complicated. After a successful competition last year with tremendous feedback, MAKO has once again teamed up with Ryerson for the MAKO @Series 2015 Invention Awards.

The Invention Design Information Session

Ryerson DFZ (Design Fabrication Zone) hosted MAKO’s Vice President, Strategy, James Chalmers, in order to provide more insight to students entering the invention design competition. The presentation concluded with a dynamic question and answer period, where many invention design ideas were put forward in order to receive opinions and future direction.

The Invention Awards allow individuals to come together and create an invention that is either outside of the box or just a mere modification of a current product in the market. James was confident in stating that the MAKO @Series Invention Awards are significant for students to reach out of their comfort zone and “close the gap for young people who believe getting a product on the market is unreachable.”

Many students were hesitant about taking the next step with their innovative invention idea, however after some insight on the importance of turning a minor ‘what if’ idea into a product, students felt more confident in taking the next step. Filiz Onguc-Klasson, Professor, Associate Chair of Interior Design at Ryerson University and Co-Director of the DFZ, also had some advice for students who are having trouble coming up with a product, stating, “Think about your personal life, what product would you benefit from?”

Students Reaction

Many students chose to participate in the MAKO Ryerson Student Invention Awards because they felt it offered more than just a cash value prize at the conclusion of the competition. Second-year Interior Design students and competition partners Kristen and Jane are thrilled to be taking part in this invention design competition.

Kristen stated that she chose to enter into this competition because it “not only focuses on product development but also on the business aspect.” Jane is very well prepared for the competition as she is a returning contestant from last year’s MAKO @Ryerson Invention Awards.

The team at MAKO is very excited to see the many innovative invention design ideas that the students at Ryerson University have in store! The MAKO @Series 2015 Invention Awards will also be coming to a number of other schools around the Greater Toronto Area. Stay tuned for more information on the MAKO @Series 2015 Invention Awards and which schools will be activating the awards this year. Good luck to all the applicants!

About: MAKO Design + Invent is the original firm providing world-class consumer product development services tailored to startups, small manufacturers, and inventors. Simply put, we are the leading one-stop-shop for developing your physical product from idea to store shelves, all in a high-quality, cost-effective, and timely manner. We operate as one powerhouse 30-person product design team spread across 4 offices to serve you (Austin, Miami, San Francisco, & Toronto). We have full-stack in-house industrial design, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, patent referral, prototyping, and manufacturing services. To assist our startup and inventor clients, in addition to above, we help with business strategy, product strategy, marketing, and sales/distribution for all consumer product categories. Also, our founder Kevin Mako hosts The Product Startup Podcast, the industry's leading hardware podcast. Check it out for tips, interviews, and best practices for hardware startups, inventors, and product developers. Click HERE to learn more about MAKO Design + Invent!