Clock/Cup

Dear World,

This week's assignment is a pretty interesting creative exercise my professor heard about a few years ago. For the assignment, I am supposed to text two friends and ask them to send back a random inanimate object/thing. With each object, I need to brainstorm their uses and words related to it - basically a mind dump. After brainstorming, I am to list and describe ways in which I could combine the two objects. Lastly, I need to determine if any of the combination seem like viable products or services.

I was really excited to get started on this assignment and thought it was going to be a piece of cake. But when I actually started working on the blog, I realized that it's pretty hard to invent new products with two random objects (or even just trying to combine them to make something that already exists today. A lot of products I "created" ended up being repeats of each other, just worded differently. I had to read through my list a few times before I noticed it. 

First Word: CLOCK

When I think of a clock, these words pop up in my head: time, waking up, snooze, alarm, date, being on time, tardiness, promptness, secretary, bed time, 11:11, make a wish, black, digital, analogue, clicking, tick tock, ke$ha, ikea clock, rolex, watches, cell phone, ringing

To me, a clock’s many functions: to tell time, to make sure you’re not late to events, to wake up the owner at a desired time, etc.

Second Word: CUP

 

When I think of a cup, these words pop up in my head: drink, orange juice, coffee, mug, water, pencil holder, water ring, paper weight, clear, ceramic, measuring cup, cooking, milk, cereal, goody cups, baking, jug, gallons, quarts, pints, ounce, glass, martini cup, shot glass, chicken stock

To me, a cup’s many functions: to contain a drink, to hold pencils/pens/office supplies, to use as decoration, to hold candy, etc. 

Combination Ideas:

•    a cup shaped clock
•    a clock with a cup on the background
•    a cup with a digital clock on it
•    a cup warmer with a digital clock on it
•    a cup warmer in the shape of round clock (with a clock on the face of the warmer)
•    a clock that has an alarm that sounds like a cup breaking or a clinking spoon on a cup (how annoying!)
•    a cup holder with a clock on it
•    a clock that has hooks to hold cups


Viable Products/Services:

Several of these products that I came up with seem doable and probably already exist. Things such as a cup shaped clock or a cup with the picture of a clock on it has to exist somewhere in the world.

I think a product that doesn’t exist that would be viable would be a clock with a hook that holds cups up. It could be placed in the kitchen or by the dinner table where it can be easily reached. The rest of the products don't seem very useful or practical. For example, a cup with a clock on it. It would be nice to know what time it is when you're drinking your coffee, but how are you going to wash it?


This activity was pretty fun. I wonder how many things other people can come up with trying to combine a cup and a clock! 

Best,

CJL