- Davison Design & Development
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Davison Design & Development, formerly Davison & Associates[1] and often referred to as simply Davison, is an invention promotion firm based in Pittsburgh and founded in 1989 by George M. Davison. With 250 employees, Davison provides new product development services to corporate clients, entrepreneurs and individual inventors. Davison’s workplace, Inventionland, has been likened to The Willy Wonka Candy Company and is noted for its 16 life-sized themed sets, including a motor speedway, sewing cottage, cupcake, log cabin and others. [2]
In 2006, Davison were ordered to pay $26 million in consumer redress for misrepresenting its services to inventors, but ultimately reached a $10.7 million settlement with the Federal Trade Commission in 2008.
Contents
Business
Davison provides new product development services to inventors, corporations and entrepreneurs and has created a nine-step process for bringing new products and inventions to market.[3] Founder and CEO George M. Davison’s motto is “Dare to invent.” [4]
Davison-designed products include the Hover Creeper, Meatball Baker, Bread It breading stations, the BikeBoard, Pugz Shoes and the HydroBone for dogs and the 360° Wrist Therapy Brace. Davison produces approximately 200 prototypes per month, and its products have been sold in 1,000 retail stores and online venues.[5]
Davison, which employs 250 people, contracts directly with individual inventors and entrepreneurs to develop their ideas into product samples. Davison services include research, industrial design, virtual reality, video, animation, product prototypes, packaging, presentation to manufacturers and royalty management.[6]
The firm has received several International Design Excellence Awards from the Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA), formerly sponsored by I.D. Magazine and BusinessWeek, now sponsored by the Annual Design Review[7] online only via F+W Media. For example, the firm received an honorable mention in I.D. Magazine's 2007 design review competition.[8]
History
In 1986, George M. Davison graduated from college and then spent two years developing his first invention, a product to sanitize toothbrushes. A large corporation beat him to market, and it was then he determined that he needed a system to bring products to market quickly and in a competitive manner. In 1989 he founded Davison.
Part of the challenge in inventing new products, he came to understand, was that manufacturers don’t buy ideas but rather products developed, packaged and ready for manufacturing. If an inventor patents an idea through the United States Patent and Trademark Office, it may be useless if the product is ultimately changed or altered from the original patent idea. Davison came to believe that one should patent one’s ideas only after the product had been researched, tweaked, tested and prototyped, making it ready for manufacturing.
Since founding his company in 1989, George M. Davison has honed his nine-step inventing method based on his past experiences with inventing and with his understanding of how inventions come to market. [9]
Inventionland
Inventionland is a 61,000-square-foot (5,700 m2) design facility that houses 16 themed sets, including a pirate ship, tree house and giant robot.[10] According to George Davison, his intention in building Inventionland was to provide a creative work environment in which Davison’s employees--artists, graphic designers, industrial designers and others--design, develop and create prototypes of and packaging for new products and inventions. [11]
Inventionland officially opened in 2008, having taken 18 months from design to construction. [12]
Inventionland is where Davison brainstorms new ideas and works with his team members on laying out the process of tackling new product ideas, including product and patent research, sketches and packaging considerations, modeling in 3D, building prototypes and pitching products to manufacturers. Davison does business in North America, Europe and Australia.[13]
“Creative use of space motivates and inspires creativity among employees. And I never want to get stale or to get bored looking at a computer screen,” George Davison said in an interview with the Daily Mail.[14]
The January/February 2008 issue of I.D. Magazine recognized Inventionland as one of "40 Amazing-Looking Design Offices."[15] Inventionland is also featured in the 2008 Ripley's Believe It or Not Annual, "The Remarkable Revealed.” In 2011 Inventionland was the recipient of the annual CRIB Creative Rooms in Business Award[16], a regional Pittsburgh award given annually and sponsored by Pittsburgh Design, Art and Technology (DATA).
Davison is committed to fostering inventiveness, problem-solving and creativity in children and young adults. [17] To that end, the company hosts tours of Inventionland on a regular basis, primarily with local schoolchildren and summer camp attendees. [18]
Awards
2011 Creative Rooms in Business (CRIB) Award
- Inventionland was the recipient of this regional design award, given as one of the Pittsburgh Design, Art and Technology (DATA) annual awards and sponsored by the Pittsburgh Technology Council. The CRIB Award “celebrates creative work environments incorporating nontraditional design, unique methods of company community, artwork or space that encourages creativity.” [19]
Steel Heart Award
- Davison Design and Development’s Inventionland, December, 2006, “for replacing employee cubicles…with a tree house.” [20]
IDEA 2008 Annual Design Review – Honorable Mention, Consumer Products
- 360° Wrist Therapy Brace [21]
IDEA 2007 Annual Design Review – Honorable Mention, Concepts
- Jack ‘N Stand [22]
IDEA Silver Annual Design Award 2006
- The Hover Creeper [23].
IDEA Bronze Annual Design Award 2006
- The BikeBoard Product Line [24]
IDEA Bronze Annual Design Award 1996
- Oil Filter Gripper [25]
Court order
In 1997, Davison was one of eleven companies named in a Federal Trade Commission consumer protection operation called "Project Mousetrap".[26] In 2006, Davison were ordered to pay $26 million in consumer redress for misrepresenting its services to inventors and the FTC said Davison were typical of typical of invention promotion scams.[27][28]
Davison appealed, and ultimately settled with the FTC in 2008, agreeing to pay $10.7 million in cash, real estate and investment assets.[29] The judge in the case further required an "affirmative disclosure statement" to be issued to future clients. The disclosure statement specifies, among other things, the number of consumers in the last five years who have made more income in royalties or sales proceeds than they paid the company.[30] As of 25 October 2011, the court-ordered statement on the company's Web site states that 14 people have earned royalties greater than Davison's fees out of 326,962 who were offered a pre-development agreement or similar contract.[31]
References
- ^ Pennsylvania Department of State
- ^ “Dave & Dave Explore Inventionland,” On Q, WQED-TV July 17, 2007
- ^ "Creative Profits" American Executive, July 2010
- ^ [ http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/43800740#43800740 “Inventionland,” Daily Connection, NBC-TV], July 10, 2011
- ^ The CBS Early Show “Inventionland turns dreams into reality” August 22, 2011
- ^ “Workplace wonderment,” Pittsburgh Tribune-Review October 7, 2007
- ^ Annual Design Review
- ^ People and Awards | 06/04/2007 - Pittsburgh Business Times
- ^ http://www.thebalancingact.com/story/?id=1968 “Davison Inventing Method,” The Balancing Act, Lifetime Television July 30, 2010
- ^ Tugman, Lindsey (22 August 2011). Today's THV. http://www.todaysthv.com/news/article/169993/2/At-5-Inventionland-Where-your-ideas-come-to-life. Retrieved 29 August 2011.
- ^ “Dave & Dave Explore Inventionland,” On Q, WQED-TV July 17, 2007
- ^ “Workplace Wonderment,” by Donna Domin, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review October 7, 2007
- ^ “Pop Star: George Davison” by Abby Mendelson, Pop City Media December 19, 2007
- ^ http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2012240/Davison-offices-Pittsburgh-just-like-real-life-Willy-Wonka-factory.html#ixzz1ZGiehfeQ “Coolest place to work in the world: The office that is just like a giant playground,” Daily Mail, July 8, 2011
- ^ http://digital.id-mag.com/idmagazine/id20080102/?pg=14[dead link]
- ^ http://www.pghtech.org/events/art-and-technology/call.aspx CRIB Creative Rooms in Business Award
- ^ http://www.thestatenislandfamily.com/inventor-george-m-davison-tells-parents-why-they-should-encourage-their-kids-to-invent The Staten Island Family, July 11, 2011
- ^ http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/leadertimes/news/s_737784.html#ixzz1Ml09Sh4W “IUP science and technology campers to visit Inventionland,” by Mitch Fryer, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, May 18, 2011
- ^ http://www.pghtech.org/events/art-and-technology/call.aspx “Who's Who of the 2011 Design, Art & Technology (DATA) Awards,” Pittsburgh Technology Council
- ^ http://www.pittsburghwillsteelyourheart.com/steelheartaward12-06.htm “Pittsburgh Will Steel Your Heart,” monthly awards sponsored by the KEYGroup.
- ^ http://talkofthetownwc.com/blog/2008/09/local_man_wins_international_d.html 360° Wrist Therapy Brace
- ^ http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/potm/2007-06-04/ Jack ‘N Stand
- ^ http://www.idsa.org/content/content1/hover-creeper The Hover Creeper
- ^ http://www.idsa.org/content/content1/bikeboard-product-line The BikeBoard Product Line
- ^ http://www.businessweek.com/archives/1996/b3478013.arc.htm Oil Filter Gripper
- ^ FTC: FTC/State "Project Mousetrap" Snares Invention Promotion Industry Press Release, July 23, 1997
- ^ “Inside InventionLand,” Forbes November, 2006
- ^ Court Halts Bogus Invention Promotion Claims
- ^ Pittsburgh Tribune
- ^ “Invention Promoters Will Pay $10 Million to Settle FTC Charges” FTC press release
- ^ Affirmative Disclosure Statement
External links
Categories:- Companies established in 1989
- Buildings and structures in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Companies based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Design companies of the United States
- Industrial design
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