In a bid to get children’s brains focusing on something other than the latest Playstation game, Sony Creative Software have joined forces with discovery Education and The Advertising Council to encourage children across the US to get inventing. Software, hardware and the potential for numerous TV appearances are the rewards of the winners who invent the best new product design idea.
This is part of the Ad Council’s campaign called ‘Inspiring Invention’ to encourage a new generation of thinkers. Open to all school children, the competition organisers hope to make more children aware of what goes into creating something new as well as how new ideas and new product design needs to be protected by trademarks and patents. The goal is to encourage young children, particularly those in the eight to eleven age bracket, to look around themselves and come up with new, fresh ideas and to possibly follow a career in invention as they get older.
This begs the question of whether or not inventors in the US are short on the ground? It’s been a long, long time since school children were enticed in such a dramatic way into looking at inventions and the way they themselves could design a new product that would change things around them, change the way things work or to ease the lives of themselves or others.
All parties concerned are very confident in the ability of their youngsters and are sure that a wide range of industries can benefit from being looked at with a fresh pair of eyes. It will also benefit the children that get involved in the way of opening up their eyes to the world around them and making them take a different view of many things. To see the world from a practical point of view is a brilliant way of distracting them from the ‘me’ attitude that pervades so many children’s lives today.
The Sony part of the prize, the creative software and hardware, will also encourage young people to get up and try something new. It helps them to understand the technologies of today and how these can be used in product design for the future. A positive outlook on how change can be a good thing is one small aspect that will also smooth their path through life, no matter what hurdles they face. While it is every parents goal to protect their children from everything, this does nothing to arm them for the difficulties of adult life. Looking at the world from their own perspective and even trying and failing, will help them to come up with better solutions.
This idea was something that took off in a big way last year and it is hoped will continue into the future. The first prize in this years competition is a very impressive package worth around $22,000, including Sony’s Creative Software professional video and audio production software, Vegas Pro 8, Cinescore, Sound Forge 9 and ACID Pro 7 as well as other additions.
The Inspiring Invention website contains hints and tips to whet the appetite of potential inventors. The Advertising Council is a non-profit organisation with a traceable history of inspiring children and young people to better themselves by becoming more aware of their surroundings. Let’s hope this leads to some innovative solutions to better all our lives.
Shaun Parker is a leading design expert with many years of experience in the inventions industry. Find out more about product design at applied.uk.com