A practical guide · Has Legs

I have an invention idea. What do I do next?

By Has Legs · Updated October 19, 2026

Start by describing the situation your invention would improve, who experiences it and what they use now. Then compare existing solutions, sketch the simplest version and choose one uncertainty to investigate. You do not need a finished design to begin thinking clearly about the idea.

1. Capture the idea without polishing it

Say or write the thought as it comes. Include the moment that sparked it, how you imagine it working and the part you cannot explain yet. A useful starting sentence is: “For [person] doing [task], this would help them [outcome] by [rough approach].” Leave a blank wherever you do not know.

A fictional invention: a fold-out sorting tray

The rough thought: “When I repair something, I set screws on whatever is nearby. What if a small tray clipped to my tool bag, opened into numbered sections and folded away when I was finished?”
The clearer concept: a portable sorting tray for people doing small repairs away from a workbench.
The open questions: do existing trays already do this well? Where would it attach? Would the compartments help, or get in the way?

This is a fictional concept for learning, not a claim that the invention is new, patentable or commercially proven. The aim is to make an unfinished thought specific enough to investigate.

2. Look at what people already use

Search by the task as well as your proposed product name. For the tray, try categories such as portable parts organizers, magnetic trays and tool-bag accessories. Look at how products are used, not just their feature lists. Include workarounds such as bags, cups or an existing toolbox compartment.

What job does each alternative already do well?
Where and when would your version be useful?
What would someone have to change to use it?
What trade-off might your idea introduce: size, cleaning, weight, setup time or complexity?

Write down the alternatives and the specific difference you want to explore. Finding similar products can help you sharpen the question. Finding nothing in a quick search does not establish novelty or freedom to sell.

3. Think about disclosure before sharing technical details

If patent protection might matter, get qualified advice about your situation before publicly revealing how the invention works. Public disclosure can affect patent rights, and rules differ by country. You can often begin by asking about the task and current workarounds without publishing the proposed mechanism.

USPTO: international patent protection
Official guidance explains why disclosure and filing timing can matter across countries. This guide does not assess your legal rights.

4. Sketch the smallest version that answers a question

Draw the idea in use, not just floating on a blank page. Show a person, the object it attaches to and the space around it. For the sorting tray, a paper layout can help you explore compartment sizes. A cardboard model can help you discuss where it opens and whether it blocks access to the bag.

Make the prototype serve a question. A shape model can help with layout and handling, but it cannot prove a fastening method is secure or a finished product is safe. Testing a load-bearing, electrical or other safety-critical function calls for appropriate expertise and controls.

Autodesk Tinkercad
A browser-based 3D design tool to explore simple shapes when a paper sketch is no longer enough. Check current features and sharing settings before uploading a design.

5. Talk to the people who would use it

Start with their experience: “Tell me about the last small repair you did away from your bench. Where did you put the parts? What worked? What did you have to retrieve?” Listen before presenting a solution. A person may already have a workaround they prefer.

When it is appropriate to share a model, ask the person to walk through a task with it. Watch where they hesitate, what they reach for and what they move out of the way. Record observations separately from your interpretation. “They moved the model twice” is an observation; “they will never use it” is a conclusion you still need to examine.

6. Make a one-page invention note

Copy this invention worksheet

Working name:
Who it could help and in what situation:
The outcome it would improve:
What people use now:
How my proposed version would work:
What might make it worth switching:
What I know from observation:
What I am still assuming:
The next sketch, model or conversation:
What I need specialist help with:
My time and spending limit for this next step:

This note gives a designer, collaborator or potential supplier something concrete to discuss. It is not a manufacturing specification or evidence that the idea will sell. Update it as you learn, keeping earlier versions so you can see why the concept changed.

7. Choose the next step before buying the whole journey

If you do not yet understand the user’s routine, investigate that first. If the shape is unclear, explore a model. If the idea depends on a mechanism working, ask an appropriate specialist how to test it. If people understand the object but see no reason to switch, revisit the benefit before investing in a polished prototype.

You do not have to decide the entire business today. Aim to leave the first round with a clearer concept, a record of what you learned and one useful next test.

Bring the rough version to Has Legs

Has Legs helps you get an idea out of your head and work through it. Speak or type, answer meaningful follow-up questions, and get a clear Idea Brief. An optional paid Action Plan adds a fuller breakdown, practical steps, testing ideas, useful tools and prototype planning where it fits. Has Legs helps organize the path forward; it does not manufacture the invention or establish patentability.

See what you get with a Brief and an Action Plan.