Planning Process

My mentor and I met once more this week to further discuss the design process. Our plan is to pick out the materials for the sign and make initial measurements for the sign within the next week. We decided that it would be best to scrap the idea of using recycled rubber from old tires to use because the material would not be as flexible. We would like to pursue the notion of using recycled materials down the road, but want to make the signs as simple as possible to begin. 

Our first drawings have the sign at standing about six inches tall and a total of about 12 inches long if laid flat. If you think of the sign as a piece of paper, fold the paper "hot dog style" (lengthwise). The make a fold at the center of the "hot dog" with the halves at a ninety degree angle. The paper standing up is the face of the sign. The half of the "hot dog" sitting on the ground will be the base of the sign.

In our meeting, we found that the greatest trouble we will face in the design process is how we will secure the base of the sign to the ground. Many of the current road flaps installed are secured with glue on a ceramic tile which is secured to the ground. Because rubber is a tough material to bond, it may be difficult for us to glue the rubber directly to the road. We are currently searching for alternatives to the ceramic tile, which would increase the cost of each sign significantly.

Within the next month we will also be using a CAD program to create a design on the computer of our sign. When we submit our papers for a patent, we will need the CAD drawings to include. We hope to have a "patent pending" statues by the end of November, so we will need to get started on the CAD designs as soon as possible. My dad already has a lot of experience with CAD and I currently have limited experience using the program, but he will be guiding me on some of the design because it is a simple design.

Overall, our process has not yielded tangible results as all work has been planning, but we will soon be starting the CAD work, which I am looking forward to. We are on track to meet our goal of the "patent pending" status and remain steadfast in our overall goals of marketing the product by the end of the year.

All of this planning seems a bit tedious now, but I understand that it will save is much time in the long run as we will not have to go back to revise mistakes that we may have glossed over because we were going too fast in the initial process.

Now weeks in, I am pleased with our progress thus far and look forward to the work that will follow. I hope to be able to post pictures of our designs soon!

My First Mentor Meeting

I met with my mentor on Sunday for the first time to discuss a SMART goal. We both agreed that a realistic goal would be to be finishing the testing process for the road signs. While this arduous process goes on, we will be marketing the product as well as attempting to have the CalTrans California road signs handbook include our sign in their list. Their approval and subsequent inclusion in their book would give us a seal of validity and provide us with much needed exposure to potential clients. Inclusion in that handbook would help us market the product; however, we will need to stay in contact with those interested because most will need details on exactly what the sign is and can be used for because it will be a recent addition to the handbook. When we embark on our journey of testing the sign, we will need to be talking with CalTrans to be included in the new edition of the handbook.
From now until testing, we will need to finish the initial design of the road sign and send that off to manufacture prototypes which can then begin the testing process. We expect that we will need to make changes to the design after the testing.
We have a lot of work before prototypes can be manufactured because the initial design process is still ongoing. We are attempting to think out the design as much as possible in collaboration with some other sign companies so we can avoid common pitfalls in the testing process.
Our first meeting was all planning, and this planning is necessary so we can have a plan to follow along the way. My journey officially began on Sunday and I am very anxious to begin the process of building up a business.

iQuest Intention

iQuest Intention
My Project: creating a business of manufacturing supplementary stop signs to be placed on the road

I hope to learn the process of creating a small business. This will help me in the future because I would like to attend business after earning an undergraduate degree. The application of knowledge from small business can then be transferred and ultimately help me in whatever endeavors I undertake in the future, even if I pursue a career elsewhere in the business world.