Walking into the MakerLab this week was definitely a change of “scenery” after being in other classrooms in BIF and Armory for the past few weeks. With that being said, it was wonderful to see all the 3-d printing, creativity, and innovation at work once again. Class started with a group activity consisting of idea formulation for our final projects and proposals in the class. As Olivia, Veronika, and I sat upstairs in BIF overlooking the atrium, Team Supra realized that the most crucial process in idea innovation and generation was problem identification.

As covered in class, the most successful projects, concepts, innovation, stem from effective problem identification. By efficiently identifying problems consumers struggle with on a daily basis, gaps in the market and consumer demand and need can be discovered. These gaps ultimately allow for the most successful prototypes and products to be catalyzed. With that being said, Team Supra mutually agreed that overflowing trash is a persistent common household problem. Trash is inevitably generated on a daily basis and an overall nuisance to any consumer. As trash causes terrible odor, occupies a significant amount of spaces, and can ruin the overall ambiance of a household, Team Supra identified a way to reduce waste frustration. Olivia, Veronika, and I laughed when we all mutually agree that there have been countless times when we take out the trash and realize that the trash bag isn’t fully utilized. Because of this, Team Supra formulated concepts that could catalyze the commercialization of an everyday consumer household affordable compactable trashcan that ensures consumers maximum utility of their trash bags. With such a solution, consumers not only enjoy economical benefits (money saved on trash bags) and household benefits (no odor leaking out of the top of the trashcan from and overflowing trashcan) but also strive towards creating a better environment with less trash bags wasted.

While it may have been a little pre-mature, we began brainstorming to solution this problem. When brainstorming potential prototypes to our idea, we came up with the following:

1. A trash can that ultimately has a lid with compactable capabilities
2. Special hooks that ensure full utilization of the trash bag
3. Lids with holes allowing for personal trash compacting by hand

However, we realized how crucial it was to make the product accessible to the consumer. For instance, we were well aware that a compacting trashcan is no new innovation by any means. As a matter of fact, we have plenty of compacting trash cans here at the University of Illinois. The biggest issue we face in problem solution-ing is appealing to the consumer at the proper price point. The typical compacting trashcan currently exists at too high of a price point for an average household. If the price were brought down to a $40-50, consumers would find it cost-worthy to invest. Now with that being said, there are so many factors to consider going forward: product materials, product compactable capabilities, the physics behind everything, and so much more.

Nevertheless, this week’s class was certainly a fruitful experience. From idea generation to problem solutioning to above all problem identification, brainstorming was definitely a huge learning experience for team Supra. And I think my biggest take away from class this week was the following: From Professor Vishal himself, “when 3-d printing and problem solutioning it is always the most important to start from problem identification. Your chances of success are exponentially higher when you identify a problem and try to solve it as opposed to starting with solutions first.”