Ideation Tips: Reinvent, Re-engineer or Recyle Trash to Treasure

One’s trash could be another’s treasure! You can reinvent, re-engineer or recycle trash to create your treasure. Here's our list of handy tips to help you crank out great ideas! Step 1. Identify Your Idea: You can  find solutions in one of the following 3 areas: • Mobility – something that moves things or people • Environment – something that protects the environment • Play – something kids play with inside or outside Choose the area that you think you could improve on with an invention Step 2. Choose Your Trash & Brainstorm: • Find out what trash materials you can use for reuse and recycling • Pick at least 2 discarded materials to develop your invention • Take the idea that you have identified and brainstorm other solutions with your friends, family and/or mentor Step 3. Design: Once you settle on an idea to start with, you will need to build on their idea, understanding that your first solution is not always your best solution. Draw your solution in paper and then SCAMMPER to find out what you can do. • Substitute –What could you do instead? Can you use another material/process? • Combine – How about a blend of two or more ideas/processes? • Adapt – Can you make it better? • Minify – Can you make it smaller? • Magnify – Can you add something to it? • Put to other uses – How or where else could you use it? • Eliminate – What can I need to get rid of? • Reverse – Will it work backwards? • Naming & Testing: Choose a name that best defines your idea. Step 4. Test it Get thoughts and reactions to understand if your idea really works. Use your friends as a sounding board to critique the product • Does it work? • Who will use your invention the most? • Will people like it? | Find More Ideation Tips | Enter BKFK Contests |