How a Design Contest Can Help Your Invention Succeed

Great product concepts do not succeed on the concept alone.

The idea not only needs to function well but also needs to have the right look for its intended audience. No one gets the right design on the first try. That's why independent designers and design firms begin a project by spinning out a wide range of initial concepts. Now imagine you could get ideas from dozens of designers all at the same time? That's the idea behind Cad Crowd's design contests. Design contests are used for all types of projects. Whether you’re looking to launch a new product or want to crowdsource your design project, a contest is a great way to get a wide range of innovative ideas at low cost.

But how do launch your own design contest? Cad Crowd makes it easy. At their website you describe your project in enough detail to ensure designers understand exactly what you’re looking for. Set a timeline and a budget. And you’re off to the races. You can review submitted designs as the contest progresses or when it’s finished. You’re able to browse 3D designs and CAD files and provide feedback to freelancers you think are promising. At the end of it all, you pick the winning design. They get the prize, and you get the working product design. Cad Crowd is a leading marketplace for product design services, CAD designers, and 3D modelers. They are an online platform connecting clients with top-rated designers and engineers. Check out CadCrowd here.

TAKE NOTE: Before presenting your idea in a design contest you should take steps to protect your intellectual property. Patent protection is complicated but a basic concept is that public disclosure may severely limit your ability to protect your invention idea in the future. You should take steps to protect your invention BEFORE public disclosure, not after.