New products are being developed on a constant basis for the self defense products industry. The distributors see the new designs cross their desks, and stock the new products on store shelves. Many have websites that require updating on a regular basis with new products.
Self defense products have to keep evolving to do a better job with less effort. If an attacker targets a victim, the victim must be able to deploy the device with minimal effort and use the device effectively. Design translates into easier initial deployment and fewer errors in the act of self defense.
Although there are some genuinely novel self defense devices, most innovations are improvements on current designs. Largely, this is true of most industries. Take an already successful product and make it better. Some general observations about product innovations are valuable.
Collecting data on a successful product will typically reveal that some customers would prefer the product be made with other features. That data may indicate enough design issues to cause a radical redesign of the product. A transition of this sort may significantly add to market share.
Totally new inventions may be difficult to get off the ground financially for a successful business. This route is notoriously difficult, and perhaps only for the entrepreneurs with the most dedication and a knack for vision. Be ready to deal with patent attorneys and have many lean years of difficulty.
Many innovations may only be centered on small changes, or even just aesthetic design alterations. Making straight-forward aesthetic changes is common in self defense products. Some degree of technical innovation is often combined with aesthetic improvements to make an old product style look refreshingly new.
Some products could do better to be made with multiple color and style options. This is true for many hand-held electronics designs. Plastics manufacturers may be able to accommodate the design requirements for a successful new product launch without costing your business a fortune.
A “eureka moment” will often have to be followed by dozens if not hundreds of test trials to bring a product to a final stage. However the journey may be rewarding. Consider the possibility that you may learn many things along the way that were previously unknown, and this knowledge may become a source of new innovations.
Innovation may be a hard challenging process, but there are rewards of personal satisfaction as well as potential wealth building. Much wealth these days is built by consumers buying new products that make the old product largely obsolete. All products wear out, so new and improved designs are likely to be tried in place of old designs in any consumer market segment. Embrace your innovative capacity.