What's the rational behind unified Quirky logos with such an array of products? Personally, I think it's more exciting for each new product to have it's own distinct look, but I'd like to know what you think.

On a positive note: I can't stop thinking about you (Quirky). The "so what do you think about...?" is driving my wife nuts btw.

Tilt moved through the quirky process in speedy fashion. Got some great press, then sort of vanished. How about an update. Anything on the burner? redesign ? price ? colors ? g5 w/reception ?

I would like to hear about material selection, ergonomic consideration for all types of consumers and quality control. We keep hearing about complaints and shortcomings that were pointed out in evaluation and industrial design phases that just keep getting overlooked.

None seem to have been addressed back to the community. What has been done to expand the scope and improve the situation? Please be specific, product by product. A chart would be great, short and sweet.

Kudos to whoever is doing product placement!!!

CNN Money & Today Show (late) & the real Today Show & Wired magazine (print!) - WOW

There are 10000+++ companies who would kill for such exposure!

so, why only 2 days now for the product evaluation phase? what all did i miss?

i didn't get a chance to go threw them all and vote this time, and i feel that for a hundred dollars a submission the product evaluation should be the longest lasting phase on the site.

your thoughts?

Yeah, I completely agree with Matthew P. It would be far better if evaluation went over the weekend so we would have 2 more days while the staff is off. Sometimes inspiration strikes when the mind clears. Reading, doing some research & thinking things over takes a few days.

I think there might be some advantages to going to a two week evaluation schedule.

BUT, what do the inventors think about a two week schedule?

Some benefits of a two week schedule:
This will give the community more time, including a weekend, to rate and comment on the products.
This will give the staff more time to do their part.
This will enable the staff to build "consideration" time into the schedule (the time between making the decision [noon] and announcing the decision [5pm]).
One product every two weeks will relieve some time pressure on a staff trying to get products designed, rendered and manufactured.

This schedule might work. What do you think?
Monday noon of week one - submissions close.
Monday 5pm of week one to Monday noon of week two - community evaluation, voting, comments, and ratings.
Monday noon of week two to Thursday noon of week two - staff evaluation of top 25%.
Monday 5pm of week two - announce top 25% (others can then prepare to resubmit).
Thursday noon of week two to Friday noon of week two - staff deep dive on top 5, meeting, and decision.
Thursday 5pm of week two - announce top 5 (others can then prepare to resubmit).
Friday 5pm of week two - announce winner (others can then prepare to resubmit before submissions closing at noon on Monday).

The first thing I see is that the other projects will probably get really long and spread out. The second thing is that the number of submissions for each round will probably go up.

IMO by using the Eastern time as the quirky work day limits those whose day begins three hours later in the West. Give the west a full day too. Easy, sneezy. Just add three hours to everything to give us more awake time. You are robbing quirky of many many many hours and hours of totally free addictive input.

Q:
Is Quirky hiring too many designers ? I keep seeing new staffs joining the team are designers.
Is marketing understaffed ? QA is the next important role when we have more products meeting threshold.

Marketing, talking to retailers, getting retailers (brick and mortar + e-retailer) are some important roles now.

Does Quirky want to be a successful product design company or a successful product commercialization company ?
The emphasis is different.

Have you thought anymore about hiring product testers and making prototypes for your chosen products up front? Getting feedback from testers is key to going to market. Prototypes are essential in retailers purchasing products (get it in their hands) and give them feedback from the testers once you have a working prototype.

How about asking for feedback after the product is designed - so we can catch the ergonomic and materials issues before committing to a production plan and getting pricing.

Yeah why not tap the resources you have right here in the community for jobs? I could be a contractor for Quality Assurance, Product Development and Testing. Of course I would work from home....

It would help if a schedule was updated as we move through development on remaining phases with the start and cut-off times and dates going forward. There will be new quirks coming aboard at many different stages of product development who will have no idea where products and pages that they saw today are not there the next day. Newcomers need navigational assistance or a video that walks through the entire system of product phases and what is accomplished at each step of the way. I know there is info that i miss in the Get Satisfaction questions and answers area, but frankly after having to spend so much time pressing buttons to get through all the forum categories and updates my brain is too dead to do the follow-up there. IMO we should do away with one or the other. If it is inefficient for us it must be the same for you ambassadors too.

Shipping costs are pretty high, aren't you guys worried about that turning away people from committing to products like Steeper Keeper where the shipping price is almost as much as the actual product?

Can you guys please please please consider combining some of the HydraDuo pieces to drive down costs thus lowering price? This product isn't like others that need to be re-looked at fully. Just combining the inner bottles would be ideal while keeping the same concept.

Anything you can tell us about a Avon type program being offered by Quirky?

Quality Assurance

As I understand it, before a product is cleared to go on shelf in a retail chain that product needs to be checked for safety and quality.

+ What Quirky products (if any) have made their way successfully through any retailers Quality Assurance department?
+ Have any failed?
+ Can you put products through a QA process in preparation for an eventual order so that when an order is placed the product can slot
straight in?

Submitting to Retailers

+ Does Quirky hold much faith in submitting products in the online submissions forms such as
http://walmartstores.com/suppliers/267.aspx - I have always wondered if this type of submission works?

Business Plan

+ In Q's business plan - how long have you given the project before it needs to pay it's own way - that is, by when will the sales of products
need to be self sustaining (profitable)?