1. Status Report 11/24
Rikard Saven | Stephanie White | Natasha Worsham
Project Description (Name TBD)
The first couple weeks of the project were spent developing three concepts. After presenting to our peers, we
decided to go with the idea of a dream machine. The idea seemed silly at first, but we soon realized this could
actually be a viable product. We surveyed our friends to get a basic overview of their sleep habits. We also looked
at competitive products on the market. Space and sense were reoccurring themes in our research. Micro‐trends
such as a shift to consuming organic foods and medicines, incorporating yoga into exercise routines, and web‐
based technologies further supported our ideas.
We are revolutionizing the notion of a good night’s rest. Our products create a unique environment for dreamers
to sleep in peace. The essential product is a bed frame featuring a retractable canopy, a dehumidifier, and a
projector for programming lighting, sound, and wake‐up capabilities. The projector can also be synced with a
computer to each owner’s personal account. On the website, users select themes (lighting and sound) and can
record their own dreams via a blog or twitter. The goal is to bring together a community of dreamers. In addition
to the bed frame, we will also sell body pillows and mattress pads with reactive heat and motion sensors. In
addition to the product development, we will focus on building our brand and how to market these products.
Team Activity
Throughout last week, we continued to prototype, recruit subjects for the survey, and research competitors—
posting ideas on the blog. At our meeting on 11/23, we reviewed each other’s ideas and analyzed survey results. At
the end we finalized the product line and began to outline the final presentation.
Group Progress
Because our product ideas have evolved since we first made the schedule, we had to rethink our strategy for the
rest of the semester. The product has turned out to be more sophisticated and expensive, so the “As Seen on TV”
promotional idea is out. We are now going to focus extensively on branding, and developing a “high‐end”
promotional campaign. We are in the process of developing a new name instead of “dream machine” because it
sounds tacky.
Individual Progress
Each of us conducted competitive research and collected survey responses this week.
[Natasha: 20% Coordination // 50% Ideation // 30% Production
Stephanie: 60% Coordination // 20% Ideation // 20% Production
Rikard: 20% Coordination // 30% Ideation // 50% Production]
Problems/Concerns
Each of us seemed to be on a different page in terms developing a strategy this week, and how the product will
actually function. Should the bed have realistic, workable functions and features? Or should the features be more
fantastical? We are also having a dilemma on what to present. Should it be an entire marketing plan (product,
price, place, promotion) or solely focused on the design, development, and branding of the physical product?
Future Outlook
Our ideas are very strong. This has turned out to be a very cool and interesting project, even though none of us
were thrilled about the idea in the beginning. Now it’s just a matter of execution and presentation!
Check out our progress: http://acreativeteam.wordpress.com