The first prototype was received with much excitement and anticipation!

We had come a long way with the design and functions. The ringlet had taken shape, and was now capable of being more than just a ringlet, but also a kickstand.

The FedEx truck had not even left the curb before we had ripped open the packaging and started assembling our product. The snaps worked perfectly, the ringlet popped right in and the majority of everything “worked’!

But, it was not perfect…we wanted more! The kickstand needed some love, the grips were a little thin and tight on the iPad and the ringlet did not have enough material to keep it stable when banging away on the screen.

The Ringlet was the first area to get an overhaul. The plastic material was too rigid to be comfortable for a prolonged period of on hand use, so we added urethane to make it nice and soft. From there we played with color, made the grips red as well as the ringlet.

It just wasn’t right…we couldn’t fit multiple tablets as securely as we would like, the ringlet was still too small to be a stable typing platform and the kickstand was another area that we wanted to re-design…so, we went back to the drawing table and put our engineering hats on as well.

The next prototype came back with some significant improvements, but more importantly, the final design was within reach. The grips could fit most 10.1 inch screens, including the entire iPad Family, the ASUS EETransformer and the Samsung Galaxy.

We inverted the grips to allow for a more flexible and force absorbing model, the kickstand was engineered to be one piece and look clean, and the ringlet had been beefed up to provide a very stable typing platform.

The final trial was in front of us…how would it look on the tablets and how would it feel on our hands…

The next few entries are to detail the process we went through to get to where we are today.

These pictures are the drawings that we originally used to design the concept of the Tablet Claw. We wanted to come up with a design that would fit multiple tablets, be functional and maintain a sleek profile. Obviously, a lot has changed, but we are very happy with where we ended up!

The most important challenge we needed to conquer was the ability to fit multiple tablets, so we went to work on measuring all of the popular tablets (even the ones that didn’t make it i.e Touch Pad). The ringlet was the next key measurement, which we used the most common finger size to generate this data.

As you can see, we tried to use our engineering brains as best possible, but the real magic happened when we fed all the data into the design software and we had a virtual claw! Very interesting process, and something that helped shape and change the way we viewed our product and its functionality along the way.

This last image is a concept drawing of what we wanted the Tablet Claw to look like when on the Tablet. We stayed pretty true to form along the way, but as you can see, the grips have evolved the most, making the claw the most secure way to handle your tablet.

Many of our followers and backers do not know the story of how the Tablet Claw came to be. And we in turn had no idea who our target market for the Tablet Claw should be…until recently!

Through the story we found that we indeed do have a target market, a very definable market and one that will unlock incredible potential for The Tablet Claw as well as our customer community.

The story of the Tablet Claw came from a unique event that created an idea for a better accessory for the iPad. I was at a sales conference listening to a keynote from a technology leader. He was delivering his speech and sharing the information from his iPad on stage. For the most part, the delivery was great, and he made several jokes about the handling of the device as it was obviously uncomfortable, but then, the inevitable happened and he dropped his iPad (to the audible gasp of the audience).

That was when my light bulb went off, and immediately started looking for products out there that prevented this exact action from happening. There were NONE.  Well, maybe a couple, but none that I would use.

So, when we were working with a partner, HOTH Tactical, we had a moment of clarity immediately after I retold this story.

Our product is designed to remove fear and doubt in handling an iPad, but more importantly, give the confidence to its user when delivering a presentation on stage, at a keynote, during a sales demo or any time you are sharing the information on your tablet with your audience.

Our target market is the community of Presenters and Business Professionals. We beleive that your tablet is an asset in your delivery and should not be a hindrance or obstacle to communicating with your audience.

We want you to “Present Fearlessly”

Although we are slowly climbing out of the recession 1 in 2 new graduates are jobless or underemployed. As an entrepreneur and currently building a startup, I have one suggestion, get creative in your job search, look to startups as potential internships or ground floor opportunities. Now is the time to utilize your best assets and create the opportunity you seek and build a position around you the person; not the job title - http://pulse.me/s/8uJ9q

The New Rules for Product Invention - http://pulse.me/s/7NUzU

There are no set ways to achieving success, but there are always examples that you can look to for guidance.

We enjoyed this read and hope to take dome of the great advice they share and replicate it as best possible.