The document outlines the Silicon Valley Innovation Challenge and provides guidelines for submissions, including describing the problem or opportunity being addressed, explaining how the idea works and its benefits, identifying the target market and how many will benefit, describing next steps and the innovation team. Entrants are asked to concisely explain their idea on a poster using the provided headings to ensure their idea is clearly communicated to judges.

1. Silicon Valley Innovation
Challenge
Opportunity Addressed
Explain the opportunity that exists to
improve productivity, lower costs, increase
emotional satisfaction, quality of life, etc.
How big is the ‘market’? What is the
ecosystem? Show partners and/or value
delivery chain needed to bring the
product/service to market
The Idea and How it Works
What is the Idea and how does it work? How
does the Idea address the opportunity? Idea
execution includes the ability to produce the
product or service at a reasonable cost/unit.
This also includes the cost of developing and
marketing the product or service. What is
the potential for the business to scale?
Space is limited so be precise. Judging will be
done based on the team’s ability to explain
the idea.
Unique Benefits
Is this idea providing a clear and useful set
of benefits? Benefits can take on many
dimensions – financial, time or effort saved,
emotional, medicinal, knowledge, etc. A
benefit answers the question “What is in it
for solution actors and the intended
customer.” Quantify with facts. The level of
quality in the presentation will be judged by
the perceived value of the Idea and the
Idea’s uniqueness to provide valuable
actionable benefits.
Value Proposition/Target Market
The Value Proposition is a simple, clear
statement of who the target customers are
and precisely what combination of key, high
value, defensible benefits, and price will be
delivered to them (value being the
difference between benefits delivered and
the price charged).
Competition and Barriers to Entry
How will this idea hold up against
competition over time? Competition may
come from alternative ways to get to the
same benefit, or a more direct assault on
the idea itself by copycats. An idea is
judged as more robust if it provides a
higher level benefit/cost ratio than
alternatives and if the idea has a defensible
barrier to entry by copycats.
Next Steps and Timing
How will you execute your idea? What is
needed in order to take the next steps in
developing your idea? What it would take
to get a business started – money, possible
regulatory issues to overcome. Judging will
be done based on the team’s ability to
explain how they intend to successfully
execute the project.
Team Members
Name & Major with Year
Title (Use a large point font)
Use the middle section to visually catch the eye of the viewer and more fully communicate
your idea, its use, and its benefits within its intended user environment. May show “before
and after” scenarios and utilize a combination of drawings, graphics, pictures, some limited
text, to tell the story (remember ,“a picture is worth a thousand words”). To complement the
idea poster itself, you may want to display a demo, samples, handouts, and/or other
embellishments to enrich your presentation and more fully and tangibly communicate your
product, service and/or solution idea.
4 or 5 word statement that concisely highlights your idea. This is your
mini-elevator speech. (Use a medium large point font here.)
Recommended format for a winning SVIC poster
To insure maximum clarity for the audience and the judges use the Blue Headings as
suggested. Under each of the headings use simple, concise statements to help people
understand your idea. Suggestions for content are in red. Think of this as a mini-business
case.
Poster and Production Hints:
Size
•For best presentation use a Tri-fold poster board format (max. dimensions: 36” x 48”
inches), such as the Hunt ExecutivePro Display Board
•This template will print at 36” x48”. If you want to print it directly at a place like the AS Print
Shop or Kinkos. For a printed 8.5” x 11” copy, use the Scale to Fit Paper option. DO NOT
change the poster size.
Fonts
•The recommended minimum font size is 20-22 pt in order to allow the poster to be easily
read when it is printed full size.
•Use standard business fonts like Calibri, Garamond, Arial, Times New Roman
Pictures/Graphics
•Avoid pixilation!. Many images look good on your computer screen, but will lose quality as
they are enlarged to poster size. A good rule of thumb is to use a graphic that is 200-500
KB (large enough to have good resolution, small enough to save space.) When in doubt, do
a full-size test print.
•Compress your pictures! Double click a picture in the poster & the “Format Picture” dialog
box will appear. In the lower left of the dialog box, select the “Compress” button. Select “All
pictures in document” and click “OK”. Click “Apply” if a dialog box pops up. Click “OK” to
close the “Format Picture” dialog box.
Leave blank or use this
area for team affiliations
or sponsor logos.

2. Silicon Valley Innovation
Challenge
Describe what a day in the life of your
intended user is like today.
Dani starts up his sport bike motorcycle and gets warmed up before his 30-
minute ride to work. Just like every morning, he rides through the streets,
towards the main city highway—it’s the quickest way to work. Traffic is dense
this morning and Dani needs to be at work on time to open up the store. It’s a
risk he’s used to everyday, so Dani decides to slowly make his way through
lane splits and any gaps in traffic he can find—revving his engine and flashing
his headlights, hoping that morning-drowsy motorists will notice him. “An
accident’s evitable, it’s just a matter of when it will happen,” Dani thinks to
himself. As if his thoughts traveled aloud to fate itself, a daydreaming motorist
turns in from his front right. Dani reacts promptly by swerving left and
modulating his brakes, remembering stories of how locked brakes often lead to
floored riders. It was a close one and Dani promptly returns a thoughtful
gesture towards the confused motorist. To millions of motorcyclists worldwide,
it’s just another day on the bike, hoping that your helmet and jacket will do their
jobs. If motorists’ attention could be more effectively captured through a rider-
controlled awareness product, innumerable motorcycle traffic accidents could
be prevented.
What specific problem or opportunity
are you addressing?
Problems
- Today’s motorcycle safety products are biased towards post-accident
scenarios—helmets, jackets, spine protectors, or full suits.
- The armor-and-gear market is highly saturated and only approaches the
issues of what happens after you fall off the bike.
- Sport bike riders are unarmed and naked without a pro-active product to make
them better seen by motorists.
- Safety is often sacrificed by sport bike riders’ culture and creed of sleek, low-
down style.
Opportunity
- Sport bike riders exude an edgy, stealth style, while needing a controllable
way to be seen when it matters.
- An affordable and attractive product is needed to help facilitate greater
awareness of motorcyclists on public roads.
- A product that hides itself when unused and demands attention when active,
speaks to the late-product-adopting sport bike culture.
- There is a great opportunity to improve the pre-accident safety and riding
satisfaction of motorcyclists worldwide, in an inconsiderately overlooked
market.
What is your fundamental product,
service, and/or solution idea & how
does it work?
- Pulsating, vertically-lit OLED lights emit from a front-fork-mounted motorcycle
awareness product—called Flares.
- Adapting to sport bike rider nuances—revving engines through traffic—Flares
are electronically linked to the motorcycles accelerator and flicker a quick,
patterned forward light, catching the attention of motorists farther ahead.
- The motorcyclist’s handicapped exhaust-rev and thumb-on-horn sounding
method can now be complimented by a unique, rider-controlled visual light
pulse.
- 3 Settings with the flick of a thumb: Off, RPM Rev-controlled Light Pulse, or
Constant Light Pulse.
- A simple, compact, aesthetically-hidden product on their front-forks that riders
can pro-actively command, making their presence known to preoccupied
motorists, while helping to significantly reduce the frequent motorcycle traffic
accidents of today’s roads.
Who, and approximately how many,
will benefit from the adoption of
your idea and in what way will they
benefit?
Beneficiaries:
Primary:
-Sport Bike & Touring Motorcycle riders
Secondary:
- Heavy Motorcycle Riders, Scooter, Moped, and Motorbike Riders
- Insurance companies
- Motorcycle companies, vendors
Primary User Market Volume:
- 3200 registered Santa Clara County riders (not taking into account the large
existing volume of unregistered Santa Clara County riders)
- Approx. 55,000 registered California riders (not accounting unregistered)
- Motorcycle demand in the US projected to increase 6.8% per year between
2004 and 2009 to 1.5 million units
Benefits:
- Increased visibility, when:
1. Passing through motorist blind spots
2. Approaching intersections when making a left hand turn against cars
3. Night riding; motorists mistaken a nearby motorcycle’s compact
headlight as a car in the far distance
- User-activated safety device.
- Safety mechanisms that work naturally with motorcycle operation, requiring
no additional change from typical motorcycle operation.
- Low profile—flush with the motorcycle’s original structure.
- Products that only increase visibility when desired—does not draw
unnecessary/unwanted attention.
- A range of product designs that suit different stylistic tastes.
-Increased feeling of comfort and safety to motorcycle riders.
What steps in the innovation lifecycle
are next?
Beyond the initial introductory Flare product, we hope to further enhance the
product to cater to multiple income brackets with features that further enhance
the riding experience via ease of use, enhanced awareness properties, and
enhanced functionality for our primary users.
- A premium, hands-free Flare package that incorporates a proximity
activation system, activating the system automatically in the vicinity of other
vehicles, allowing the system to do all the work while the rider remains
completely focused on the task of riding without any interruption.
What is needed in order to take the
next steps in developing your idea?
- Beta Testing—User feedback
- Materials Testing
- Financial investment & funding
Who is on the Innovation team?
- Terence Kwan San Jose State University, Industrial Design
- Kenneth Noble San Jose State University, Industrial Design
- Hector Velasquez San Jose State University, Industrial Design
- Andrew Armey UC Berkeley Engineering, Graduate Program
- Gregory Bogin UC Berkeley Engineering, Graduate Program
- Jeffrey Tan UC Berkeley Business School, MBA Program
FLARES – Pro-Active Motorcycle Safety Lights
Imagine if… thousands of motorcyclists were no longer invisible on public roads. A
motorcyclist would be able to ride with the confidence and safety of knowing that far-ahead
motorists see and acknowledge their approaching bike.
Value Delivery System and Target Users/Beneficiaries

3. Silicon Valley Innovation
Challenge
Describe what a day in the life of your
intended user is like today.
Chris, a 24 year old student, has a cell phone
which he uses to call his family and in case of an
emergency. If Jack had a choice, he would not
carry around a cell phone, but because of
unknown circumstances in his life, he needs to
always carry around a phone. Jack doesn’t care
about having the latest and greatest cell phone
because he believes cell phones are obtrusive in
people’s lives and too many complications are
created by extra functions that aren’t suited for
his needs.
What specific problem or opportunity are
you addressing?
Technology these days are progressing at a rapid
rate. Phones are advancing and become more
complex. Many of these technology
advancements and features may not relate to
every individual. There is a great opportunity to
design a phone that people can relate to both
emotionally and physically.
Solution
Our solution is to provide a service that will
acknowledge the needs of customers on either
the internet or at a physical store/kiosk with the
end result of a physical phone that is tailored to
their needs. Our goal is to reach a large spectrum
of people with one standardized product with the
flexibility and expandability that will excel in
meeting individualized needs.
Perks
Some benefits of our product:
- People who always want a new looking phone
(lower costs for new shell, look, functions)
- New users can design their own interface
relieving the learning curve of having to learn how
to use the phone
-Customized corporate phones designed
specifically for their employees
- Upgradeable components (new updated
hardware, third party accessories, etc)
-Phone has long life, can be passed through
different users and they can change the phone to
fit themselves
-Low cost upgrades. Only need to upgrade shells
Beneficiaries
Primary Market
- Cell phone users who are not satisfied with cell
phone interfaces and functions offered from cell
phones in the market today
- New first time cell phone users
Stakeholders
- Manufacturers
- Service Providers (Carriers)
- Cell Phone Consumers
- Retailers
- FCC (Federal Communication Commission)
- Professors
- Cell Phone Designers
- Advertisers
What steps in the innovation lifecycle are
next?
We would like to refine the web service for the
customers as well as user interface for the phones
and to build a fully functional prototype so we can
receive more feedback which will help improve the
product to be ready for retail.
What is needed in order to take the next
steps in developing your idea?
To pursue our goals we would need to be
financially back by either investors or get in
contact with an established design firms or cell
phone manufacturers for a collaboration.
Who is on the Innovation Team?
San Jose State University
DSID 125: New Product Development
David Zhen
Jason Liu
UC Berkeley
NPD
Vince Law
Adrian Klie
Lawan Likitpunpisit
Vincent Ng
Personalized Cell Phone
Imagine if…you could have the functions and appearance of a phone personalized
just for you. Everything you want and nothing you don’t need, plus an interface
designed by you, that you can understand.

4. Silicon Valley Innovation
Challenge
Describe what a day in the life of your
intended user is like today.
Cooking for yourself and for family and
friends can be a rewarding experience.
The tools one uses dictate how successful
the meal may be and whether or not a
person will attempt to make it again.
Traditional tools such as printed cookbooks,
recipe cards, and magazine clippings are
used in conjunction with cooking websites
and TV programming, all of which are
useful, but which have limitations.
What specific problem or opportunity
are you addressing?
No one product addresses all of the
concerns of the home chef. Laptops in the
kitchen are impractical and expensive to
risk near a cooking mess, books, cards, &
magazines are limited in customizability
and scope.
What is your fundamental product,
service, and/or solution idea & how
does it work?
The Multi-Media Cookbook is a digital
reference device for storing, organizing,
searching, and delivering multimedia
content (recipes, images, video tutorials,
and a variety of online content) for today’s
home chef. The device is mounted (ideally
at eye-level) in the kitchen, using included
hardware and a mechanical mounting
apparatus which allows for easy positioning
and storage out of sight when not in use.
The device has wireless capability, an easy-
to-use interface, a large storage capacity,
and is durable, easy to clean, and quite
affordable to most home cooking
enthusiasts.
Who, and approximately how many,
will benefit from the adoption of
your idea and in what way will they
benefit?
Home chefs, “foodies”, aspiring or
experimenting cooks, home entertainers –
anyone who desires an intuitive and
efficient way to find inspiration for meals,
access favorite recipes, customize meal
portions or taste profiles, learn cooking
terms & preparation techniques, maximize
available ingredients, and track nutritional
content will find the product highly useful.
What steps in the innovation lifecycle
are next?
Preliminary user testing with first
generation prototypes, preliminary UI
(User Interaction) design, and completion
of a business plan and product
specifications are the next steps in the
design development process.
What is needed in order to take the
next steps in developing your idea?
Financing support for further prototyping of
the device and user interaction (software),
then product beta testing are needed to
move the project toward market readiness.
Who is on the Innovation team?
•Kurt Huffman (UCB Haas School of
Business)
•Aaron Arizpe, Shonan Vora, & Joe
Lemberg (UCB Engineering)
•Waldemar Drozdek & Brook Plog (SJSU
Industrial Design)
Multi-Media Cookbook
Imagine if… All of your favorite recipes and information on cooking techniques and
nutrition were instantly at your fingertips while cooking. The experience of preparing and
cooking could be made faster, easier, more enriching and you would be better able to
customize your meals and utilize ingredients that you have on hand.
Value Delivery System and Target Users/Beneficiaries
Primary Stakeholders: Users/Purchasers (Home Chefs, Foodies, Health-Conscious
Individuals, Homemakers, Working Professionals), Manufacturer, Retailers, Investors
Secondary Stakeholders: Support/Repair Service Providers, Parts/Materials Suppliers,
Logistics Providers, Content Providers (Cookbook & Cooking Magazine Writers/Publishers),
Online/Mass-Media Cooking Outlets, Project Team
User Needs
User Interface
User Persona
Screensaver
While on idle, screensaver shows
variety of dishes for inspiration.
Content can be set to random or
defined by the user. Once the
choice is made screen displays
necessary ingredients and the
recipe.
Food Picker
Another way to pick a meal is to
mark of ingredients of choice or
what is available. When all desired
ingredients are picked cookbook
shows a list of available recipes.
Grocery List Compiler
Multi-Media Cookbook aids the user
in compiling a grocery list. Small
size and self contained battery lets
the unit to go grocery shopping with
the user.
Streamlined Cooking
All tasks are optimized for time and
sequence of steps. Multiple timers
keep tabs on prep and cook times.
Portability gives user a chance to
relax in the room of choice, once all
tasks are competed and the oven
does the rest. The unit chimes in
when the food is ready.
Cook-along
Full length cooking video instructions
help the user better understand what
they’re doing. Full length feature
accompanies the user throughout
the cooking process. Double screen
affords 2 layers of information that
help the user to get it right the first
time. Each cooking step serves as a
chapter, which allows the user to
pause, stop, rewind, and skip
cooking steps.
Multi-Media Cookbook
stows away under cabinetry
ready for action.