Professor’s Invention Hits Hole In One Donald Corey, assistant professor of industrial design at ASU, attaches his “Hold-N-One” invention to a wall. The invention is a wall-mounted golf bag holder designed for golfers to easily store their bags. Photo by Frank Ruggiero By Frank Ruggiero An Appalachian State University professor hit a hole in one with a new invention. Donald Corey, assistant professor of industrial design, is the inventor of the “Hold-N-One,” a wall-mounted golf bag holder. Inventions and innovations are often designed to remedy a problem or fault, and Corey realized there was a need for Hold-N-One after a couple of unfortunate accidents with his golf bag. Since 90 percent of a loaded golf bag’s weight is above its center of gravity, Corey explained, the top-heavy bags have a tendency to topple. “I managed to knock over my tripod bag, tripping over it,” he said, adding the accident crippled the tripod’s legs. “I couldn’t use the bag and it wouldn’t stand up. Then I accidentally drove over a driver (club) later that week.” Frustration and the need for a solution prompted Corey to develop the wall-mounted holding device. As a designer, he said one would usually hand over the specifications to a group of engineers, but the original concept tends to fall between the cracks and never see the light of day. With Hold-N-One, Corey said, “This is something we’ve done all the way through.” He and wife Vanese are owners of The Other Edge, Inc., a product design studio in Raleigh, and the two saw the project from conception to completion. “Nothing really prepares you for doing this until you go through each one of those steps to make sure everything is where it should be,” said Corey, who intends to debut the product at the Professional Golfers’ Association Merchandise Show in Orlando, Fla., Jan. 25-27. Such shows help to promote homegrown products, reinforcing the message that will be sold as a product, Corey explained. Each industry, though, hosts different requirements, in terms of bringing a product to light. There are a few common similarities, though. “Timing and luck are most common with that,” Corey said. Hold-N-One has been a five-year process, as Corey said the project was placed on the backburner, while The Other Edge accommodated clients. That time, though, allowed him to refine the product, as well as acquire a patent and trademark. The time also allowed him to send out 20 requests for quotes to about 20 manufacturers in the United States. Out of the 20, he received only three responses, one of which seemed feasible at the time. The project cost, though, quickly rendered such an option unfeasible. Corey had worked in the past with a sourcing agent from China, to whom he gave the CAD (computer-aided design) specifications. After two weeks, Corey found a package at his door with each component of the product included to the tee, and the agent told him exactly much how much product development would cost. “I was really, really pleased with that,” Corey said. “I worked with their engineers because no product can be immediately made straight from CAD — that’s a general rule. The engineers took extra time to find the right parts, and they really took their time to do a good job on it, and that was really wonderful.” Considering this work was done in China, Corey said this serves as an example that there are opportunities for U.S. companies to take product developers seriously and follow up with inquiries. Hold-N-One has been selling since mid-November of 2006, and approximately 2,000 have been sold so far with limited push. Corey said he’s waiting for the PGA expo for the major release. Though Hold-N-One has proven to be successful so far, Corey hopes his personal experience in product development can help lead his students to success, as well. “It really helps me as a professor, because this is what’s going to happen when you’re in the real world,” he said. “That’s what I enjoy. The best professors I had in school were still practicing, so they could give the most up-to-date information.” He hopes his students will be inspired to do the same. Hold-N-One retails for $19.95 and can be purchased on-line at www.hold-n-one.com. For more information, visit www.theotheredge.com on the Web.