Salient’s co-owner and inventor, David Yakos, created a DIY shelf project video that went viral on social media. Instead of selling the instructions, he partnered with Family Promise of Gallatin Valley to offer the plans for free with a donation option. The fundraiser has raised over $30,000 for the organization’s housing programs.
Read more about the story on montanarightnow.com
See the video on Yakos’ Instagram.
Check out the fundraiser on Family Promise of Gallatin Valley’s website.
Maker Studio in the News
Maker’s Studio made quite the impression during it’s release at the 2015 New York Toy Fair this February, winning the Best of Toy Fair award from Techlicious, making numerous Top 10 Lists (listed below), and receiving glowing reviews for its take on open-end play. Co-inventors David Yakos, of Salient Technologies, Inc., and maker Parker Thomas teamed up with toy and game producers, ThinkFun to create the open-play concept toy. Three Maker Studio sets have been released: Propellers, Gear and Winches, and the included Engineering Challenge Cards encourage kids in problem solving and thinking outside the box. Built by engineers for budding engineers, ThinkFun’s Maker Studio puts creativity back in play.
Check out some of the great reviews at these links:
April 14, 2015: No Monsters In My Bed Blog Review of Maker Studio
April 13, 2015: The House of Boys…And a Girl Blog Review of Maker Studio
April 13, 2015: Cummin’s Life Blog Review of Maker Studio
March 6, 2015: KBZK News Piece on Bozeman local, David Yakos & the invention of Maker Studio
February 20, 2015: Maker Studio named in the CNET “Most Amazing Stuff of Toy Fair 2015” list
February 19, 2015: Maker Studio named in GeekDad’s Top 10 of NY Toy Fair 2015
February 19, 2015: Makezine is all about Maker Studio promoting the make-movement
February 19, 2015: The Maker Studio pieces “feel great, fit together well, and demand open-ended play”, says Amy Kraft of Makeroni
February 18, 2015: Kidscreen ranks Maker Studio in their favoriate non-tech toys
February 18, 2015: DadDoes places Maker Studio on the “Good” end of his article, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of Toy Fair 2015
February 16, 2015: Out of 150,000 products, Maker Studio is awarded Techlicious Best of Toy Fair 2015 List along with 7 others
February 11, 2015: Reuter’s Magazine lists ThinkFun’s Maker Studio as a great toy for kids who want to “build, do and explore!”
February 7, 2015: The Making of and Inspiration behind Maker Studio
If you’re into videos, check out the Made by Bella series – where Bella and her Friends work through the Engineering Challenges of Maker Studio
Starting the Patent Process, with Toni Tease
Here at Salient, we’ve designed many products that have jumped into the world of patent protection. The patent process is a structured path that is ideally approached with best practices.
For those best practices, we often turn to Antoinette (Toni) M. Tease, a registered patent attorney who we have worked with and trusted for years. Here is a look into one of her Intellections® newsletters…
Starting the Patent Process, By Antoinette M. Tease
Intellectual Property and Technology Law
The first two issues I address with every new patent client who contacts me are ownership and disclosure. Before you proceed with the patent process, you need to make sure you own the patent rights to the invention, and you also need to make sure that your invention is not in the public domain due to previous public disclosures, offers for sale, public use, etc…
To begin the patent process, we require three things of inventors: 1) a signed engagement letter, 2) a completed disclosure form, and 3) a retainer for the patent search. A prototype is not required for the patent search, but it is highly recommended because it will enable the search firm to focus more specifically on those structural aspects of your invention that are potentially patentable.
There are limitations to any patent search, four of which are mentioned here:
- Most patent applications are published 18 months after filing, and applications filed with a nonpublication request are not published until the patent issues. This means that the patent search will not include any applications filed in the 18 months prior to the search.
- A typical patent search will include U.S. patent references only; foreign searches may be conducted, but they are quite costly. Foreign patent references may be cited by the examiner, however, in reviewing your application.
- A typical patent search includes patent references (issued patents and published patent applications only). Other types of publications (such as articles) are also considered prior art but are not typically included in a patent search.
- There are issues with the patent office’s classification system (classifications are not always consistent or accurate) that sometimes result in a reference not being included in a patent search that was conducted according to the most relevant search classes and subclasses.
For all these reasons, I tell inventors to consider the patent search a “snapshot” of the prior art but not to treat it as a guarantee of patentability.
Once the search is completed, we provide our best assessment as to the chances of patentability. If the client decides to move forward, then we usually file a nonprovisional patent application….
Read the rest of the story HERE.
Stay tuned for an upcoming video interview series on the Patent Process with Toni Tease…
3D Printing Keynote Speaker
October 2014, David Yakos, VP and Director of Creativity at Salient Technologies, Inc. addressed a roomful of technology professionals as the keynote speaker at the RJ Young “Power of 3D Printing” Conference in Nashville, TN. Yakos presented the ability of 3D printing to take risk out of product development through prototyping.
RJ Young Brings “The Power of 3D Printing” Exhibition and Award Winning Product Designer to Nashville
Southeast’s leading office technology provider brings “The Power of 3D Printing” Exhibition and Award Winning Product Designer David Yakos to audience in Nashville, Tennessee.
Nashville, Tennessee (PRWEB) October 16, 2014
Nearly 50 professionals from across the mid-state attended “The Power of 3D Printing”, an interactive 3D printing exhibition and guest lecture at the Omni Hotel, sponsored by the RJ Young Company. The event showcased 3D Systems printing technology and informed a wide-range of professionals, from architects to advertising agencies, of the competitive advantages that 3D printing offers and featured a lunch-time presentation by award-winning product designer David Yakos.
“Weapons to wheelchairs and dog toys to space exploration, all industries could use 3D printing technology,” Yakos said as he addressed the audience. He explained how 3D printing in product development allows you to “fail fast and fail cheap” to get more desirable products to market faster.
Read the rest of the story HERE
Picking Up A Paintbrush
As a product designer, my DNA is a strange double helix of engineering principles and artistic expression. I perpetually teeter for a good balance between the logical and the lovely. This past year, I came across a wonderful short book written by Winston Churchill called Painting as a Pastime. For those seeking a little bit of inspiration, it is a quick must-read. Churchill picked up a paintbrush for the first time at the age of 40, and remarked,
“Painting a picture is like trying to fight a battle”.
This world-leader’s comment was a reflection of the world he knew all too well. He went on to describe painting technique almost as if the battle lines were drawn when the paint was squeezed out of the tube onto the palette. Prime Minister Churchill – a man who basically ruled the free world for a time – went on to say how painting helped expand his thought processes by exercising parts of his brain that didn’t normally get a workout. I figure, if this practice made such a notable difference for a Nobel Prize-winning leader, surely it would make some kind of transformation in a product designer… Churchill’s curious explanations prompted me to pick up a paintbrush, reflect on the world around me, and commit to painting something new every month.
In taking up this new structured hobby, I have discovered a lot of things for myself. I highly suggest that anyone and everyone give it a try at some point in their life… hopefully sooner, rather than later. For those in “non-creative fields”, let your creative self out to play. We all have one – some of us simply tried to leave those sides behind as we grew older, thinking it was child’s play. For those in creative fields, let your artistic expression loose in this non-vocational exercise, giving you the freedom to create without a client waiting on the other end.
Whether you consider yourself artistic or not, you will soon discover there are major benefits that can be developed through painting. Following, are some of the biggest take-aways that emerged for me in this practice.
5 personal benefits of painting:
- Peace of Mind: I have found that sitting down in front of a blank canvas and covering it with paint has become a retreat for my brain. There is a freedom in simply creating a picture, and watching it take shape as paint is layered and pushed around a canvas. Because of this benefit, many groups have employed art for the sake of mental health.
- New Eyes: Painting helps me notice fine details that I ignored in the past. It makes me look at faces – not as features with two eyes, a nose and mouth – but as countless facets with resting shades of light. I now look at water not as a field of blue, but as an oscillating reflection of the world above. Churchill said of this phenomenon, “A heightened sense of the observation of nature is one of the chief delights that have come to me through trying to paint.”
- Appreciation: I find myself watching online videos about the masters like Da Vinci and Rembrandt. I stop and look at art more, and even if I do not love the piece, I consider the amount of effort it must have taken, and ask questions like, “what were they trying to say with this piece?”. One starts to notice the shifts in time and culture in pondering art. I’ve tried painting some things I find really difficult, which has given me an even greater appreciation for the Masters.
- Growth: The practice of painting is making me a better designer and artist. As I learn to place color, I dream up products with a deeper understanding of how light will rest on a fresh shape. My hand-eye dexterity and artistic ability are slowly improving as I come closer and closer to being able to put what I imagine in my minds’ eye down on paper or canvas.
- Enjoyment: I find painting to be really, really, really fun! I have been able to make some new friends through the process by painting with others and sharing tips and discoveries with fellow artists. Painting allows the imagination to run free in a 2D world of color. When all the color is placed where it’s intended, it is a rewarding moment. The monumental task has been accomplished, and you can proudly sign your name on the creation, step back and say, “done”.
It is important to be patient with yourself as you learn. Have fun! Treat every new work as a learning experience for yourself, allowing for growth, fun, and discovery. If you want to be a more creative engineer, designer or _____________ (fill in the blank), I challenge you to take a moment, and put a little paint on canvas.
David Yakos is VP and Director of Creativity at Salient Technologies, Inc.
The Mark of Mentorship
How did we come to be where we are today? Looking back we recall myriad decisions; some good, some poor. Milestones; moments of right place, right time. Wonderful people that either encouraged us or pointed us in a more focused direction. Those encouraging people may have shared a moment with us while others have been with us for a lifetime. Whichever category they fall in, we call them Mentors. People who share their deep insight and experience that is beyond our own – and therefore, extremely valuable.
As designers, we think back to who mentored us. Likely it was a parent who saw artistic or problem-solving ability and pointed us toward industrial design or engineering. Perhaps a teacher took extra time to customize a project, making it more interesting and inspiring. Some of us were lucky enough to have a successful leader occasionally take us to coffee for unfiltered Q&A ranging from personal to business. Here at Salient, we are grateful for those people in our own lives, and so we take mentorship very seriously, and try to give back too.
Salient brings in a handful of students each year to shadow on real-life projects, as part of the Salient/HATCH Mentorship program. We give students a chance to see how they might fit in a design career prior to graduating from college. Having a chance to work side-by-side with professional designers on a project that will actually be manufactured and sitting on the shelves of Target is a stark contrast to the educational scene that can only engage the theoretical. The theoretical is a necessary stage, but having the opportunity for hands-on creativity gives students a better idea of what they might enjoy or be good at in a way the classroom cannot.
Forming character is similar to creating good design. It does not take shape on accident. When designing a new product, we create many sketches, and often have to iterate and test many prototypes. Before landing on an ideal product, we sit down in a group and brainstorm the possibilities from multiple perspectives. By the time we are done, the product has been touched by the whole team in one way or another, and has the signature of the collective creativity of Salient.
In the same way, character is formed through a process. It is honed when we re-invent and test ourselves. It is created when we regard others’ insight. Just as the first version of a product hits the market and we call it 1.0, there are more versions to come. We keep developing the 2.0, 3.0, … 6+ versions of our character. We never stop growing, inventing, prototyping, and making. That synergistic magic takes place on both sides of mentorship, it stamps its mark and its benefits on both the mentor and the mentee alike. We’re grateful to be on both the giving and receiving ends of Mentorship.
David Yakos is VP and Director of Creativity at Salient Technologies, Inc.
Patent Law Q&A
Pursing a patent can be a long and tricky process, and here at Salient, we’re often asked for advice on how to navigate the road to a patent number. Our best advice for over 15 years has been to contact Toni Tease at Intellectual Property & Technical Law in Billings, MT.
We collaborated with Ms. Tease, who allowed us to pick her brain in a Q&A session, and we’d like to share what we learned with you in bite-sized pieces.
Here’s the first in an upcoming series of Patent Law Q&A videos we’ll be releasing over the next several months. Enjoy!
Find more info on Ms. Tease at her website teaselaw.com, and check out her blog Intellections®
David Yakos is Co-Owner and Director of Creativity at Salient Technologies, Inc.
Filing for a Patent – Patent Law Q&A Ep. 1
Where is the best place to start when you’re pursuing a patent?
In this issue of Patent Law Q&A, Patent Attorney, Toni Tease and Product Designer, David Yakos answer that question by exploring what qualifies as an invention, what makes an invention patentable, and the steps necessary to file for a patent.
Click on the video below to listen in on their conversation!
Find other Patent Law Q&A Session on the Salient Technologies YouTube Channel, and keep an eye out for new videos.
Toni Tease is an experienced Patent Attorney and Owner of Intellectual Property & Technology Law in Billings, MT
David Yakos is Co-Owner and Director of Creativity at Salient Technologies, Inc., a product design firm in Bozeman, MT
Provisional Patent Applications – Patent Law Q&A Ep. 2
What’s the difference between a Provision Patent Application, and a Non-Provisional Patent Application? Are there benefits to filing for a Provisional Patent?
Find the answers in this conversation between Patent Attorney, Toni Tease, and Product Designer, David Yakos.
Click on the video below, to listen in on their conversation, and explore more Patent Law Q&A on the Salient Technologies YouTube Channel
Toni Tease is an experienced Patent Attorney and Owner of Intellectual Property & Technology Law in Billings, MT
David Yakos is Co-Owner and Director of Creativity at Salient Technologies, Inc., a prodcut design firm in Bozeman, MT
Best Practices for Disclosing an Idea – Patent Law Q&A Ep. 3
Sharing an invention or idea you’d like to patent can be a pretty intimidating prospect. It can be difficult to determine with whom your idea is safe, when a signed NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement) should be in place, when you’re able to speak freely, and whether you’re becoming completely paranoid, or being appropriately careful.
In this Q&A session on patents and patent law, Toni and David discuss when and with whom it’s safe to speak about your invention or idea, when NDAs needs to be in place, when an idea becomes public, and how that impacts the timeline for filing your patent.
https://youtu.be/58VL4qwZ_wI
Find other Patent Law Q&A Session on the Salient Technologies YouTube Channel, and keep an eye out for new videos.
Toni Tease is an experienced Patent Attorney and Owner of Intellectual Property & Technology Law in Billings, MT
David Yakos is Co-Owner and Director of Creativity at Salient Technologies, Inc., a product design firm in Bozeman, MT
