Stand out from the crowd – what makes a successful Spark application?

1. First things first – check that we’re compatible

Design Council Spark: The Home Innovation Challenge, is open to anyone over 18 years of age, and from any walk of life. We are on the hunt for bright ideas for independent living, innovative product ideas that will make life at home easier and better for all. More people than ever face challenges in the home, and the products available to them are often expensive, clinical and unappealing. We have a huge opportunity to re-invent the market and make home life better and more enjoyable for everyone.

So step one is to find out if we’re compatible: 

• You are based in UK and intend to develop your Intellectual Property (IP) or start-up in UK
• You are over 18 years of age
• You have a physical product idea (it can have a corresponding digital aspect but must be predominantly physical) which will make home life easier and are well designed, so that everyone can feel more confident, capable and independent.
• You are able to illustrate your idea visually – we are looking for product ideas that are at sketch, prototype or planning stage with business and IP registered in the UK
• You have included the required 1 minute video – see tips below
• You have met the initial eligibility criteria on the application form.

Meet all of these?

If so, great!

Now on to step two.

2. Innovation is key

We are looking for innovative product ideas that will make life at home easier and better for all – and we don’t necessarily mean out-of-this-world ideas. These ideas will be for products that provide solutions to independent living, as more people than ever face challenges in the home. They might have trouble getting around, remembering things or doing day-to-day tasks. We are looking for new, innovative product ideas that will make home life easier, and are well designed, so that everyone can feel more confident, capable and independent. We believe an innovative product is technically feasible, desirable from a consumer perspective and viable from a business perspective.

Ten categories have been identified around daily tasks, which can be tackled with a variety of need and impairments in mind. The categories are: 

• Getting up/going to bed
• Getting dressed
• Washing and bathing
• Cooking and eating
• Working
• Gardening
• Cleaning
• Answering the door
• Sitting
• Relaxing

Ultimately, we want to see that you’ve done your homework and can convince us that your idea is different to anything that currently exists and will improve people’s lives, so make sure you take every opportunity to show us that you are confident in your products ability to achieve this, and provide evidence wherever possible.

3. Be people centred

At the heart of good design is a relentless focus on who will be using your product, so don’t be shy when it comes to user-testing. As Mark Sheahan, Inventor in Residence at the British Library told us: “Too many inventors get caught up in their idea and are really protective of it. Because they don’t share it, they don’t develop it”.

We recommend that all innovators take necessary steps to protect their ideas and IP, and this is something that we provide detailed guidance and support on throughout the Spark programme. However, the more evidence you can provide – even if anecdotal at this stage – that will turn new ideas into real life products for independent living the better. Your friends and family are likely to be the kindest critics, so widening the net to request open and constructive critique from more independent industry focussed sources will put you in a stronger position to back your idea all the way to production and beyond.

Similarly, we believe that ‘feedback is the breakfast of champions’, so if you feel too wedded to an exact or fully developed version of your product then Design Council Spark may not be the programme for you. We work as collaboratively as possible with all of our ventures, and inevitably those that reach the farthest in the programme and beyond are those that understand how constructive critique of an idea is.

4. Are you a bright Spark?

The clue is in the question! As well as meeting the basic eligibility criteria above, we will want your application to give us as much detail as possible about you and the other potential parties associated with your product – be that an individual, a team or any other stakeholders that need to be considered. Wherever possible, clarify the level of commitment that can be offered by team members to attend the programme, and aim to highlight the different areas of expertise or experience that you can equally offer the programme.

We are not experts in every field, so don’t underestimate how powerful your lived experience of any other markets can still be to the development and success of a product – for example, if your day-to-day work experiences are completely unrelated to your product. Ultimately, we are looking for the best creative and entrepreneurial minds who believe in the product and the need in the market, commit to the workshops and associated programme work and develop personal resources to make it happen.

The success that you earn through the hard work that you put into Design Council Spark will lead to us being able to grow the programme and provide the same support to many more ventures in future. With that in mind, we believe that it’s only fair to support applicants who indicate in their application that they want to be part of the ongoing Design Council Spark legacy and share its benefits with the growing Design Council Spark Community.

5. It’s good to talk

Whether you are a keen and regular public speaker, or have never presented before we require a 1 minute video to validate your application so now’s your time to shine.

As clear a picture as we want to see in your answers, the video allows us to get a final understanding of the idea you are presenting and your understanding of how it could be success within the Design Council Spark programme.

We ask that you prepare what you want to say before recording, you have exactly 1 minute and any videos longer than this will not be viewed, so getting the most valuable information across clearly and accurately is vital. A simple smart-phone is sufficient as long we can clearly see and hear you. Please read the guidelines on the application form clearly and watch our example video from Design Council Spark 2017 finalist Workey before you start.

Obviously if you have an existing professional video then feel free to submit this but it is vital that all requested information is covered.

Hopefully now you’re ready to take the next steps, so we look forward to receiving all applications by 3pm on 12 April 2019. If you have any further questions or need assistance with completing your application form, please visit our FAQs or contact us at spark@designcouncil.org.uk.

Good luck from the Spark team!