Moderator

The ProjectThe Moderator is a unique double-ring to help to cut down repetitive behaviours such as smoking, drinking or biting nails.“Working with Innovate helped turn my idea from a concept in my head into the product that it is today. Hopefully, The Moderator will be able to help save the lives of those who maybe didn’t realise the damage that they were potentially inflicting upon themselves with their habits.”

Client: Grant Penfield

www.themoderator.co.uk

The Moderator has a patent pending and a trademark in the UK.

The problem or challenge Grant Penfield first approached Innovate in 2011 with his invention idea for a “gentle nudge” to help those who felt that they may be smoking, drinking or indulging in a habit that could have a potentially detrimental effect on their health or personal life. Having lost his father to lung cancer at the age of 46, Grant felt that there was a need for a product to help those who needed a reminder that perhaps they were “over-indulging”.

The Innovate Solution When Grant came to us with his invention idea for which the design seemed very simple, but aspects needed to be developed. After identifying a clear potential market for the product, Innovate’s product design team were engaged to develop the concept and produce a suitable design to take to a manufacturer to produce. Thought was put into colour ranges, materials and general aesthetic properties before producing suitable presentation materials. From here, Grant worked with Innovate to trademark the name of the product, and protect the underlying functionality via patent.

The Process Grant and Innovate worked together to:

• Look into the most suitable potential primary markets for the idea
• UseInnovate’s product design team to visualise Grant’s  productwith thoughts around function and aesthetic
• Produce photorealistic CAD visualisations to assist in presentation to manufacturers
• Offer advice as to suitable routes for protection
• Help promote the concept post-launch and continue to offer advice and support where required

The Results Since the launch of The Moderator in the third quarter of 2012, the product has received some excellent exposure in the national press in the United Kingdom.The benefits of the product have been proven by significant market testing and the focus has now moved onto the next challenge of approaching retailers and securing shelf space.