Just Missed The Mark
Clever Concept That Didn't Go Quite Far Enough
One of the worst things you can do when brainstorming is to stop too soon -- to be content with the "first right answer" when a bigger breakthrough is just another suggestion or two away.
I feel this is the case with the Powerseed.
Powerseed is a diet-aid that is self-described as a "discreet" egg-shaped monitor that flashes a tiny green light every 30 seconds to help you pace your bites during meals. A tone sounds every five minutes, telling you to stop and assess your overall satisfaction. These indicators remind you to savor each forkful and could save you hundreds of mindless calories.
The core concept has merit, but I don't think it's "done" yet.
They say it's discreet, but a tone every five minutes and a blinking light? Sure, you can use it at home and no one would care, but it's bound to be noticed at a restaurant, and why not design it to be used in public without drawing attention?
By simply adding a "vibrate" setting it could be kept in a pocket or under your leg while seated on the chair as a little 'pulse' to nudge you for that 5 minute pause. Change the design a little more substantially, and it could become a sleeve that fits over the handle of your eating utensil and actually buzz your feeding hand.
I think the concept is novel, but think they could have gone a few steps further to make the device virtually invisible in the environment where it will be used most.
Clever Concept That Didn't Go Quite Far Enough
One of the worst things you can do when brainstorming is to stop too soon -- to be content with the "first right answer" when a bigger breakthrough is just another suggestion or two away.
I feel this is the case with the Powerseed.
Powerseed is a diet-aid that is self-described as a "discreet" egg-shaped monitor that flashes a tiny green light every 30 seconds to help you pace your bites during meals. A tone sounds every five minutes, telling you to stop and assess your overall satisfaction. These indicators remind you to savor each forkful and could save you hundreds of mindless calories.
The core concept has merit, but I don't think it's "done" yet.
They say it's discreet, but a tone every five minutes and a blinking light? Sure, you can use it at home and no one would care, but it's bound to be noticed at a restaurant, and why not design it to be used in public without drawing attention?
By simply adding a "vibrate" setting it could be kept in a pocket or under your leg while seated on the chair as a little 'pulse' to nudge you for that 5 minute pause. Change the design a little more substantially, and it could become a sleeve that fits over the handle of your eating utensil and actually buzz your feeding hand.
I think the concept is novel, but think they could have gone a few steps further to make the device virtually invisible in the environment where it will be used most.
posted by Don The Idea Guy at 4/27/2005
2 Comments:
Yo Don!
While the current embodiment of the Powerseed does miss the mark because it lacks a vibrating signal, be aware that our utility patent contemplates and claims vibratory signaling.
The power consumption of a vibrator (and need for frequent battery changes or a rechargeable battery circuit) was a major design problem that I chose not to tackle on this beta version intended for market testing. Hopefully the next time around we'll be able to incorporate vibration.
Appreciate your review and any ideas you may have on a vibrator solution.
All the best,
Bill Curry
President
Powerseed Systems
LOL!
I had to read this post twice before realizing it wasn't some spam link to a sex toy!
Best of luck in the next version of Powerseed. At the core, I think it's a useful tool. I just feel it needs a few enhancements to make it a bit more innocuous and inconspicuous (those last two words are Scrabble triple-word scores if ever I saw one!)
~DON
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