Brandon Sowinski, Nick Nekola, Kenny Malekian

Team Brute

Agenda• Team Roles• Problem Statement and Statement of Purpose• Justification• Problem Statement Matrix• Patent Summaries• Research Summaries• Market Information• Market Research

Team Roles

• Brandon Sowinski – Team Leader• Nick Nekola – Time Keeper• Kenny Malekian – Coordinator

Problem Statement & Statement of Purpose• Americans’ coat zippers easily become stuck on other clothes or

materials. Ever since the modern zipper was invented in 1913, the zipper getting stuck has irritated countless people because the zipper becomes difficult to maneuver. 4 out of 5 people on various blogs and forums have described this as being a frustrating problem with no easy solutions.

• Prevent the zipper from catching and becoming stuck on various articles of clothing located near the zipper region.

Justification• 80% of people have gotten their zipper stuck and believe

it’s a problem• Many people ask for help fixing this without damaging

the zipper• Only ways to fix it can be difficult and damaging

Problem Statement Matrix Criteria Weight Brandon Kenny Nick

The problem can be accomplished in the given time. 2 4 4 4The problem can be solved with the available resources. 2 3 3 4Initial research indicates that others also believe the problem exists. 1 5 5 5The solution is likely to meet a specific need and/or be marketable. 1 5 5 5The problem is interesting enough to keep the team interested. 1 5 5 4The problem has multiple solutions possible. 1 5 5 4Initial research shows there are no existing solutions or are solutions that are inadequate 1 5 5 5

  1      

Total Score   39 39 39

Patent Summaries

• Patent 0102729 – The type of material can cause complications

• Patent 0209169 – Having a specific design for each element can be a good idea

Research Summaries

• whiteblaze.net/forums/showthread.php?11116-amp-!!-zipper-always-gets-stuck.

• “I just bought a fairly expensive down Big Agnes Lost Ranger and it got stuck right off the bat.” “I don't want to damage it.”

Major Competitors• Existing zipper companies – dominated industry for

many years• Button companies – widely used as clothes fasteners,

doesn’t get stuck• Snap companies – widely used as clothes fasteners,

doesn’t get stuck• Velcro – easy to use, doesn’t get stuck. Rarely used alone

on clothes, lose effectiveness

Users and BuyersProduction

Facility

Clothes Manufacturer

Retailer Retailer Retailer

Clothes Manufacturer

Clothes Manufacturer

General Public

User and Buyer

Buyer

End-user

Product created and is shipped to clothes manufacturers

Mount product on clothes

Sell created product to consumers

Consumer purchases and uses clothes

Market• Consumer characteristics:• Age: ~14+• Income: All incomes• Education level: All education levels• Geographic location: Everywhere in the U.S

• 2010 census = ~245,267,292 people over the age of 14 in the U.S.

Reasons to Produce

• Large potential market• Product is not overly complicated• Product does not have many small parts

Market Research Plan

• Surveys – provide quick answers that give us almost immediate information to analyze about target consumer

• Casual Interviews – provide in-depth analysis of consumer opinions

Recap• Team Roles• Problem Statement and Statement of Purpose• Justification• Problem Statement Matrix• Patent Summaries• Research Summaries• Market Information• Market Research