Organizations and Associations
From here you can visit Web sites of associations and organizations involved in product design, development, and strategy, or that provide inventor support services:
International Center for Studies in Creativity
An academic program of Buffalo State College, the International Center for Studies in Creativity focuses on study of the creative process and the understanding of how it can be successfully recreated. While its focus is on the academic study of creativity, much of literature sources available are applicable to business development, including new product development and creative management techniques.
United Inventors Association
The United Inventors Association provides support services to independent inventors and groups of inventors in the United States. Among the most useful resources are networking lists of inventor groups around the United States, Ask the Experts panel with experts in patent law and the commercialization process, and a bookstore of UIA publications.
International Federation of Inventors' Associations
In addition to the United Inventors Association, a wide array of local or regional inventor affiliations are in operation. The International Federation of Inventors' Associations serves as a portal and community organization for these smaller groups. In addition to providing a directory of inventor support organizations, it furnishes links to patent and government offices as well as some articles on topics related to product invention and development.
Product Development and Management Association
The Product Development and Management Association's mission is to "improve the effectiveness of people engaged in developing and managing new products - both new manufactured goods and new services." The organization chiefly disseminates information and acts as a networking tool for professionals and academics involved in the creation of new products. Whether or not membership proves useful, their Web page furnishes a number of highly useful sections, including this glossary and this jobs database.
Center for Innovation in Product Development
MIT's Center for Innovation in Product Development pursues academic study of the product development process from idea generation to commercialization. Of particular interest to managers of teams of inventors are the Center's frameworks for managing the collaborative invention process. Topics include the handling of incentives and boundaries, information flow control during the idea generation stage, and the use of sophisticated consumer preference modeling to generate product ideas.
American Productivity & Quality Center
Part organization and part consulting firm, the American Productivity & Quality Center "organizations adapt to rapidly changing environments, build new and better ways to work, and succeed in a competitive marketplace." The group emphasizes the development of case studies intended to furnish insight into Best Practices product development and use of performance metrics in product development.
Product Strategy Network
A network of management practitioners who are responsible for product strategy results. Membership is an exclusive, private membership designed to help individual practitioners learn from their peers and share ideas, advice and information. It is most suitable for managers who are responsible for product strategy, product management, product innovation, business development, product marketing, product development, technology and related areas. Many programs are open to non-members.
Design Management Institute
A non-profit institute formed to advocate the implementation of high-quality design standards into the management and development of new products. The group's curriculum emphasizes seminars, networking opportunities, and publications. It also provides a searchable database of firms and Web pages focused on design.
Corporate Design Foundation
The Corporate Design Foundation is a non-profit organization intended to educate business leaders and owners about integrating good design principles with their business strategy. They advocate an approach that brings together product design, communications design, and a firm's business strategy. This site is chiefly of use to larger firms, but small-firm entrepreneurs will find some resources of value as well.
Industrial Designers Society of America
Industrial design is the discipline of creating products and processes that optimize design for functionality, aesthetic appeal, and manufacturing optimization. It is a total approach that looks at all stages of the business operation, from development to consumer reaction, to optimize for a more integrated business. The group serves a diverse membership, including independent consultants, designers, and corporate employees.
Management Roundtable
The Management Roundtable "brings together thought leaders and business practitioners whose common purpose is to define, develop, and deliver customer value — with minimum waste and maximum flexibility." It features features a good discussion of appropriate application of metrics in the creation of products and manufacturing process.
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc.
A critical trade organization and publisher of journal articles on the topics of electrical and electronic engineering, membership in this organization will be of use to inventors in these arenas. Provides valuable networking opportunities as well as career advancement support.