With the special ability to transform from just a Pencil case to a Stationary pot it’s Supercase to the rescue!
So fear not…the Supercase will fight against mess to create one tidy space so you can keep all your stationary equipment together. It’s easy to use. No mess and no need to buy a pot and a pencil case. Its only £5.99 and available now.
Once again, Supercase saves the day!
Concentration can sometimes be a real headache, especially if we don’t know how to master our ability to focus. Luckily for us, there are useful things we can do for a better selective attention.
Be “here and now”
Try to see things – even the most uninteresting and common things- as if for the first or the last time. In terms of concentration, it refers to giving increased interest to a task we may consider too boring or too tiresome for us to complete.
Avoid procrastination
Procrastination is the most versatile enemy of concentration. Frequently, small distractions and entertaining activities consummate precious time. Even if our excuse is being tired the brain will be more responsive to our efforts if we push it a little bit more. Children should try to sit in the front of their class rooms were they will be solely focused on the teacher and the lesson, and even be able to participate in discussions regularly. They can try using the Concentrate Voting Ruler in class!
Put a number on it
Establishing some kind of ritual- especially using a number system- it will help make your objective measurable and achievable. It all depends to our perception on the particular task: if we consider it difficult, “breaking” it into number makes easier to accomplish. The mind works better if we trick it with small steps. So, just choose a number, like three or five and say to yourself: for example; “I will work out for three more minutes in the gym” or “I’ll read five more pages of this book before i go to bed”…you get the picture.
Establish your limitations 
Assign tasks with precise time parameters that tell you when to start and when to stop doing them. Write down a to-do-list and try to stick on it, a diary can be very beneficial too. Putting things on paper usually equals to a “black-on-white” commitment that will make us keep our promise.
We hope this helps!
Hello,
A universal definition of good design may be difficult to find, but there are certain patterns that remain the same when applied to different industry sectors and product types.
Defining what makes a “Good Design” is difficult. However, there are some principals that certainly contribute to a product working well. So here are our top tips for getting a thumbs up when designing!
Usefulness – Everyone expects a product to do what it promises. Really good products exceed this, and are a delight to use. Take the packaging that Apple products arrive in. It is smartly designed, and adds to the child-like feeling of unpacking a new toy, and of course – it protects the products – exactly as it was designed to do.
Usability – Depending on people’s needs, the product really should have user-friendly interface or ergonomic design. Carefully researching how products are actually used (often called ethnography) provides information about people who may be interested in that particular product, and how they would use it.
Looking good – Of course, “looking good” is subjective. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. However weighing up factors such as the lifestyle, culture, age, gender, education, occupation of the users helps to design something appealing. It has also been observed by design writers that the easiest route to create something desirable, is to create something that is better looking than the competition! Hmmmm?
Producible – Producible products are “those manufactured in large volumes by using appropriate production methods that take into account the impact on the organisation of new components, assemblies and processes”. Well designed products show almost as much consideration of how they will be manufactured, (and dissassembled/recycled) as how they will be used.
We do our best to stick to these principals. Feel free to have a little look at our product range. We’d love to get your feedback!
If you got some time, have a little think and try these fun brain teasers….And no cheating!
Q1. I come once on a ‘Tuesday’, twice in a ‘Week’, and once in a ‘Year’. What am I?
Q2. what occurs once in a ‘minute’, three times in a ‘momment’, and never in a ‘hundred years’?
Q3.What do the following numbers – and only these numbers – have in common?
Answers will be revealed in the next newsletter!
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Hello. We occasionally get asked for advice about taking an idea forward and getting into the marketplace. We thought it might be of interest to put together some tips.
If you have been struck with a brilliant idea for a new product it’s easy to get enthusiastic. However, it really is worth scrutinising the idea carefully before investing your time and money developing it. It’s also worth thinking through the important steps that will be required to develop an idea into a product that people want to use. What roles do the design and manufacturability play in determining a products success. Here’s some of the things we think are key:-
Examine the market for your product: There’s often no need to reinvent the wheel. Many designers’ efforts fail when they try to offer products based on their assumptions of what people need instead of a thorough research of what people could really use. It sounds like common sense, but you have to be honest with yourself. Seek impartial advice, and listen to feedback.
See the project from an engineer’s point of view: When starting out it’s not necessary to obsess over the fine details of a product. At an early stage just try to cover potential problems related to how the product will be made. Making something easy to manufacture is a real skill. It will often determine how a product ends up looking and functioning and can make the difference between success and failure.
See the project with the eyes of a designer: Ask yourself the critical questions that have to be answered before a new product ever gets to manufacturing. Who will buy it? What value will it add? If you do commercialise your product you will be mobilising potentially hundreds of people to produce, inspect, pack, ship, and sell your products. Is the design as good as it can be? Can you justify their time and efforts?
See the value of the product through the consumers’ eyes: Think of a design that would offer qualities that go beyond than just price for customers. Make sure the design is visually appealing, user-friendly, easy to use and not overly complicated. Can it add value in their daily lives? Simple, thoughtful design can often provoke genuine affection. We all know of products in our lives that work really well. From a new smart phone, to a seemingly indestructible toaster that has provided perfect toast for years, there are products that you probably have a positive emotional reaction to, and those mark the successful development of a good idea.
Stuffed full of sweaty gym kits, and often forgotten for days in lockers or just under the desk, the gym bag is the perfect breeding ground for odour-causing bacteria, especially in this current warm weather. But finally there’s a solution to the gym bag whiff – the Anti-Smell Sports Bag. The Anti-smell sports bag is a unique product designed to help stop nasty niffs from PE kits, shoes and sports equipment that are left hanging around.
The bag works just like a shoe “odour eater” insole, utilising an active carbon filter sewn into the inside of the bag to help neutralise smells. The patented carbon filter, which we’ve called ”pong patch” will last a year, and can be easily cleaned using warm soapy water.
And…
They are incorporated 3M reflective stripes and are currently availablewith in red, yellowand alowkey black version for stricter schools.
Just as our body needs to exercise regularly, the brain does too. Not in the same way, of course, but it does need to practice as much as possible in order to stay fit. Just as the body can lose a little tone as we age, the brain loses some of it’s agility as we get older.
The good news is that it relatively simple to exercise those little grey cells – phew.
Here are some tips:-
Reading – This is the best “mind sport” for cognitive training. If it were in the Olympics it would be the 100m. If it were Tennis it’d be Wimbledon. If it were cheesy TV presenting – it’d be Noel Edmonds! Clearly the levels of difficulty vary significantly, but challenging reading material can extend our vocabulary and help form new neural pathways as we explore new concepts.
Using your creativity: be it a piece of design, a DIY project, a spot of gardening or creating an art piece, exercising your imagination and creativity, and drawing upon your short term “working memory” to work towards an envisaged goal, is shown to physically change the brain. (To be specific, Olesen et al showed it to increase dopamine receptor binding potential. After publishing his findings Dr Olesen went on to put up some shelving and painted a nice picture for Mrs Olesen)
Eating wisely- a diet rich in antioxidants- will help protect your brain cells. Physical activities maintain a good blood flow to the brain, along with oxygen and water molecules.
The social dimension is also important. Throughout our evolution, intelligence has been shown to be linked to the quality and quantity of human interactions. Consequently, relations with other people are helping you to maintain healthy connections among brain cells! – How poetic.
Cheerio.
Here are some simple but efficient how-to-focus recommendations.
What can you do to train your mind?
Sudoku Rules
Each Sudoku has a unique solution that can be reached logically without guessing. Enter digits from 1 to 9 into the blank spaces. Every row must contain one of each digit. So must every column, as must every 3×3 square.
Sudoku Tips
* Start with number one and pencil in all options around the grid before moving on to number 2. When worked your way up to number nine, simply go back to the beginning and start with number one again
* Concentrate on the 3×3 mini grids, rather than rows and columns. They give up a lot of clues.
* If you’ve completed seven numbers in a row or column, then obviously the two boxes that are left must be one of the two remaining numbers left over. That row or column often passes through a mini-grid where you also have two options. Frequently, you can deduct exactly where the two leftover numbers go.
