1.
During rush hour when people are getting off
from work around 5pm, whenever there is an ambulance or police car that needs
to get through traffic causes an inconvenient car pileup in order to allow the
vehicles to come through.
Why: Obviously, the ambulance and police
cars are doing their job and are needed on an urgent basis.
Solution: There should be a designated
separate lane for emergency vehicles such as these.
2.
Whenever I am trying on clothes in a store,
there is always one thing wrong with the article of clothing.
Why: It isn’t the store’s fault that they
may carry a defective item, and it was most likely due to overuse by customers
trying it on and off over a period of time.
Solution: Clothing stores should have an
in-fitting-room machine that can help customers find the exact article of
clothing they are trying on and order the product from its online catalog or
see if the product is available from the backroom of the store.
3.
Whenever I use those gel ink pens (even though I
love them), they always leave a disgusting smear on any type of stationary I
write on, which makes it horrible if I am writing a heartfelt letter to
someone.
Why: The gel within the ink is just made
that way. It is also probably due to human error that the smears and smudges happen.
Solution: By creating a “white-out” that
“clears” or makes marks/smudges/smears from pens disappear instead of just
covering it with a white layer, it can really benefit the many individuals that
love stationary items and utilizing gel pens.
4.
Parents are always in need of babysitters, and
sometimes they may not have money on hand to give it to them.
Why: Most people do not carry cash anymore.
Solution: By developing an app that creates
a layout similar to Venmo, or other payment apps, parents can safely pay their
babysitters efficiently. (No more forgetful payments, and students can have the
cash directed straight to their account and track the transactions between all
the people he/she babysits for.)
5.
Whenever girls wear fake lashes, they tend to disregard
wearing false lower eyelashes.
Why: People usually do not care about their
lower lashes, and also, they are a bit harder to work with than the upper ones.
Solution: The creation of a lash line
dedicated to not only providing standard quality upper lashes but providing
cute and various options of lower lashes to the public, would create a huge
appeal.
6.
My laptop screen gets dirty easily.
Why: Over time, dust and debris accumulate
onto the laptop screen.
Solution: To create a dust-free laptop
screen cover as an accessory so that viewers will always have a clear screen.
7.
Overtime backpacks rip due to old wear and tear.
Why: It is just the overuse of backpacks
that create this problem.
Solution: By creating an item that one can
store inside their backpacks (to hold items in place and also prevent damage to
the exterior from the interior), we would have backpacks that never rip from
wear and tear.
8.
Sometimes when I apply on nail polish, I
accidentally spill some onto my jeans, and they never come off. (Seriously,
they never come off.)
Why: Nail polish is applied onto the nail,
and the chemicals that make up the nail polish may stain clothing.
Solution: Create polish resistant clothing
or create a line of nail polish that will not stain clothing.
9.
Often, posters we hang up on our walls have to
be put down and folded, but when we place them back up, they are all wrinkled
with visible lines from the folding.
Why: Because of the material posters are
made out of, it is unlikely the wrinkles will disappear.
Solution: By creating a wrinkle free
material to print onto, posters can be rolled and transported to new locations
and reapplied onto walls without the fear of seeing wrinkles.
10. Sometimes
when we write, we make mistakes and we don’t have an eraser or white-out to fix
our problems.
Why: Because ink just spills and is
permanent.
Solution: To have a pen specifically
designed to allow the writer a temporary chance to wipe off the ink before it
becomes permanent on the page.
11. I always forget to drink water sometimes.
Why: Sometimes life is so busy, and I do
not keep reminders on my phone.
Solution: Building a water bottle container
that reminds you to drink water at a specified schedule that you can control.
12. Paintballs hurt—and for good reason, because
that is the point of the game: to pummel your opponent with pellets, but these
pellets often leave more than just a bruise.
Why: Some individuals are afraid of playing
paintball because they are afraid of getting hurt.
Solution: By creating soft pellets,
individuals who are fragile or do not want to be hurt can enjoy the game of
paintball.
13. Sometimes
you cannot stop thinking about your ex, and you do not know why. And it sucks.
Why: When you dwell on the good memories of
past exes, you cannot move on quite as efficiently.
Solution: By creating an app where you can
compile all the negative characteristics of your ex, you can be reminded at
specific intervals in your day about how much of a scumbag he/she was.
14. Sometimes
your favorite pen runs out, and you just cannot move on in life.
Why: Sometimes pens hold nostalgic value to
some people. Some people even get embellished pens for their friends who just
became lawyers.
Solution: By creating a line of pens that
that disposable ink filters just like mechanical pencils, one can gladly use
their favorite pen any time they want for as long as they want.
15. Whenever
I come into the house, I always go into the shower to wash my feet.
Why: I believe that washing your feet is
crucial to good health because your feet walk on many surfaces, and by the end
of the day, it takes in a lot of bacteria that need to be cleaned off.
Solution: By creating a portable feet
washing machine, any individual who wants to quickly sanitize their feet before
they walk further into their home is made possible.
16. Whenever
I write, sometimes I can’t see.
Why: Sometimes the light isn’t positioned
how you would want it to.
Solution: By creating a detachable light
that can be fixed onto your pen/pencil/writing instrument, there is no more
worry about your lighting needs.
17. A
friend of mine gets embarrassed in the toilet. No joke.
Why: She doesn’t like people knowing she’s
taking a #2, so she tries to quietly do her business, but the moment her
business touches the water, it “splashes” and makes a noise.
Solution: By creating a line of toilets
that are insulated with a soundless water rim, everyone can take care of their
business silently.
18. Sometimes
coffee becomes less cold and more watered down.
Why: It just happens that way.
Solution: By creating special coffee ice
pieces, everyone can enjoy their coffee without it being watered down.
19. Sometimes
women like to try on nail polish but are afraid to commit to one color.
Why: Women are just mystical creatures that
love options in their lives.
Solution: By creating a line of nail polish
that provides a temporary 15 second drying time (to allow women to try on the
color but not worry about leaving the color on or having to use nail polish
remover), every woman will have the chance to try on different colors on their
nails to see which one matches and the option to wipe it away without leaving
any smudges on their hands or clothes.
20. Napkins
are always needed but are always gone when you need it.
Why: Sometimes people waste paper, and
sometimes people use it sparingly, but it is still gone.
Solution: Create a line of paper towels or
napkins that will be able to be used for up to 5 uses and still look brand new,
making buyer purchase retention increase.
Reflection:
"Oh god why," is the perfect response to how I felt about this assignment, but as I worked on it more and more, I realized the importance of understanding the needs of my surroundings. No joke, I think I worked on it for more than 10+ hours because I just could not think of everything all at once. So, I basically worked on it sparingly throughout a day.
I definitely found this to be a problem because I am not
used to always seeking out the flaws in our everyday environment. I also think
it’s quite difficult to think about these things because we live in a society
where there are consistent changes day in and out, and there is always a Mark
Zuckerberg or Bill Gates waiting around the corner. So, I think that when it
comes down to it, one just needs to understand that he/she (too) has the
capabilities to change the world.

Great post, Lauren. This IS a hard exercise, but just like all exercises, we get better at it with practice. So hang in there! Your list is great -- amazingly candid. No. 17 made me laugh, too. I think your solution to that bug is desperately needed!
ReplyDeleteGreat post, Lauren. This IS a hard exercise, but just like all exercises, we get better at it with practice. So hang in there! Your list is great -- amazingly candid. No. 17 made me laugh, too. I think your solution to that bug is desperately needed!
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ReplyDeleteHey Lauren, interesting post. I especially liked number 11. I am always concerned with staying hydrated, so a water bottle that would remind me sounds like a great idea! I loved and also laughed at number 15. I often come home and wash my feet because they are dirty. I'm not sure how well a foot washer would do, but I really love the idea. Great post overall! http://ent3003sw.blogspot.com/2016/01/bug-list.html Here is the link to my post!
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ReplyDeleteThis was a great post Lauren. I really enjoyed how open and honest this was. This exercise was also very hard for me because I don’t usually look around for things that bug me. I usually just ignore them and consider them part of normal life. However after this exercise I realized that’s how many people create successful solutions to everyday problems. I think the ability to identify common problems and think about why they happen is essential to being a good entrepreneur.
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