The Spark
News, insights and commentary from NS
Nottingham Spirk: Fascinating Facts About the Cleveland Disruptors
By Laura DeMarco | Greater Cleveland Partnership During a visit to NS, members of the Greater Cleveland Partnership took a to...
Study Finds pro2cool Reduces Adolescent Concussion Symptoms
Research led by Akron Children’s Hospital finds that pro2cool's hypothermic therapy reduces symptom severity after concussion...
Ditto’s Cutting-Edge Innovations Receive Industry Recognition
This new pattern projection system brings sewing into the digital age By Ritupriya Basu | Fast Company Backed by Joann and Si...
Innovation Remodeled: Why Digital and Product Now Go Hand-In-Hand
This article first appeared in Forbes, June 2023. Reprinted with permission. By Lisa Caldwell Right now, most manufacturers a...
John Nottingham & John Spirk Inducted into the Dealmakers Hall of Fame
The conclusion of the Cleveland Smart Business Dealmakers Conference earlier this month marked the induction of the inaugural...
Little Tikes: Transforming a Business Through Product Innovation
In the children’s toys category, the long partnership between Nottingham Spirk and Little Tikes ensured a competitive edge. T...
Mission Possible: Game-Changing Invention in the Fashion World
WKYC visits Nottingham Spirk for a look at our Innovation Center and a game-changing innovation in sewing. WKYC CLEVELAND — I...
Five Reasons to Innovate in an Uncertain Economy
We’ve identified five reasons why an uncertain economy is an ideal time to double down on innovation. 1. Leapfrogging your co...
NS Retains Ohio IoT Talent to Grow Connected Capabilities
Following AVID Technologies’ Shutdown, 12 Former Employees Join Nottingham Spirk, Creating New IoT Enablement Team CLEVELAND ...
Ditto, Developed with NS, Debuts the “Future of Sewing” During NYFW
Ditto’s digital projection system brings the first change to paper patterns in over 160 years. NEW YORK – Feb. 10, 2023 – Unv...
Katherine Hill Ritchie Featured in Middle Market Growth
By Sue Ter Maat | Middle Market Growth How GP, LP and Family Office Work Together Most Effectively Building relationships is ...
TecTraum Announces Completion of Clinical Trial
TecTraum Announces Completion of Multisite Clinical Trial Using pro2cool® Device for the Treatment of Concussions CLEVELAND –...
Improving the Product Development Process
Developing a product that matches a business’s market needs from concept to completion is a complex and daunting process. Ver...
Family Capital Features Nottingham Spirk
By Michael Foster | Family Capital Profile: Nottingham Spirk—creativity is where family offices have the edge over private eq...
John Nottingham Featured on The Lay of the Land
#65 John Nottingham (Nottingham Spirk) “I always say the impossible just takes a little longer.” Nottingham Spirk Co-Founder ...
Katherine Hill Ritchie Featured in CFO Dive
By Ted Kunston | CFO Dive Making family offices your go-to source of capital An estimated $6 trillion to $7 trillion is avail...
How to Prepare for Medical Device Regulations
Regulations in medical device production are costly but necessary. They are established by commissions like the FDA and EPA t...
How Product Packaging Solves Problems
In product development, packaging solves problems. An innovative product idea needs the right packaging to be functional for ...
Amanda Beacher Featured in Clinical Trials Arena
By Abi Millar On February 18, 2022 | Clinical Trials Arena Nottingham Spirk’s Director of Insights Amanda Beacher was quoted ...
Katherine Hill Ritchie Judges 2022 Full Court Pitch Competition
TPIxNBWA All-Star Full Court Pitch Competition 2022 Hosted by The Players' Impact and the National Basketball Wives Associati...
Media Roundup: Medical Device Innovations
How The Cleveland Inventors Behind Nottingham Spirk Went From Consumer Products To Medical Devices Forbes | Amy Feldman Cleve...
Katherine Hill Ritchie Featured in Smart Business Dealmakers
By Adam Burroughs On January 7, 2022 | Smart Business Dealmakers Stay Ready: The Benefit Of A Perpetual Data Room When Andy P...
NS Client-Partner Sterifre Medical Granted EPA Registration
Sterifre Medical Granted EPA Registration for Automated, Point of Care Disinfectant System to Help Combat COVID-19 and Other ...
Nottingham Spirk: 2021 In Review
As year number 49 comes to a close, the team at Nottingham Spirk has so much to celebrate and be thankful for. Recognitions, ...
Hampton Bay Filter Fan Available In-Store
The Hampton Bay Air Filtering Ceiling Fan — a Nottingham Spirk and Home Depot product innovation - is now available in-store,...
Miracle Brands Sense & Dispense Available In-Store
Sense & Dispense — a Nottingham Spirk and Miracle Brands product innovation — is now available in-store at Lowes, or onli...
Cleveland Magazine’s 30 Great Cleveland Inventions & Innovators
Cleveland Inventions: How John Nottingham & John Spirk Turn Patents into Products Kevin Carpenter | Cleveland Magazine Si...
Step Away From Your Desk: Innovation Requires Focused Relaxation
By Bill Nottingham, Managing Partner & VP, Growth Social media is full of posts extolling the virtues of constant work. S...
Katherine Hill Ritchie Featured on NextWave Private Equity Podcast
Why family offices are playing in PE's sandbox EY | November 23, 2021 Nottingham Spirk’s Director of Strategic Development an...
John Nottingham Featured on Industrial Talk
John Nottingham with Nottingham Spirk Scott MacKenzie | November 16, 2021 “I always have my future hat on, it’s a sickness.” ...
Plastic Waste: a Growing Challenge the Circular Economy Can Combat
The world is awash in plastic, and the problem is getting worse every year. More than half of the estimated 9.3 billion tons ...
TecTraum’s pro2cool Receives FDA Designation as Breakthrough Device
TecTraum’s pro2cool Receives FDA Designation as Breakthrough Device CLEVELAND--(BUSINESS WIRE)--TecTraum Inc., dedicated to p...
TIKI® Brand Named as CES 2022 Innovation Awards Honoree for NS Supported Product
TIKI® Brand BiteFighter™ String Lights with Proven Mosquito Repellency* Named as CES 2022 Innovation Awards Honoree MENOMONEE...
Lindsey Tufts: Associate Spotlight
Lindsey Tufts Designer & Program Manager Lindsey is a graduate of the Ohio Diesel Technical Institute (now Ohio Technical...
Diverse teams can bring balance to your natural assumptions
This article was first published in Smart Business Cleveland. Humans are prone to cognitive biases. As our brains evolved, ...
Media Roundup: EY-Nottingham Spirk Innovation Hub
Crain’s Cleveland Crain’s Cleveland Business – Today’s Cleveland business news For Ernst & Young, opening up an Innovatio...
Bill Nottingham Featured on The Fifth Dimensional Leadership Podcast
Passion, Learning and Riskless Innovation with Bill Nottingham Ginny Clarke | October 08, 2021 "I had my Little Tikes drawing...
Katherine Hill Ritchie Receives Lifetime Achievement Award
We are thrilled to announce that Nottingham Spirk Director of Strategic Development and Board Member Katherine Hill Ritchie h...
Lessons Businesses Can Learn from the Success of “The Office”
What can innovators learn from a sitcom? In the case of The Office, quite a lot. In 2020, seven years after it ended, The Off...
John McKenzie: Associate Spotlight
John McKenzie Designer & Program Manager John is a graduate of the Cleveland Institute of Art. Prior to NS, he worked at ...
Bill Nottingham Featured in The Landscape by Crain’s Cleveland
The Landscape podcast: Bill Nottingham chronicles rise of Nottingham Spirk Crain's Cleveland | September 21, 2021 “Innovation...
Bill Nottingham Selected as a Judge for CES 2022
We are thrilled to announce that Nottingham Spirk Managing Partner and VP of Growth Bill Nottingham has been selected to join...
How a Startup Learned to Compete Directly With Mainstream Giants
By Hayden Grover “Dread it. Run from it. Destiny still arrives.” – Thanos In early August, San Francisco-based newsletter pla...
Katherine Hill Ritchie Featured in Business Insider
A new generation of wealthy families are competing with venture capital and private equity for direct deals — and they’re hir...
Does brainstorming work? Only as part of a larger strategy.
“Brainstorming” is one of the most misunderstood and misapplied concepts in business. The term remains in high circulation, b...
Give It to Me Straight: Five Words That Are Overused in the Office
By Hayden Grover The workplace can be a buzzing hub of “I hate Monday” jokes, gallons of coffee, and a shared refrigerator wi...
Katherine Hill Ritchie at Healthcare Impact Investing Summit
This 30-minute panel discussion is moderated by Katherine Hill Ritchie the Director of Strategic Development at Nottingham Sp...
Subtractive Thinking
Sometimes the best way forward is a step back… By: Bill Nottingham This article was first published in the April issue of S...
Remote or In-Office: Does One Promote More Innovation Than the Other?
During the pandemic, companies that offered limited or non-existent remote working opportunities were forced to take a sudden...
John Nottingham at Innovation Intersection
“People say innovation is risky, but the riskiest thing is not to innovate.” Nottingham Spirk Co-CEO John Nottingham discusse...
Measure Your Innovation Capability
“Without data, you're just another person with an opinion.” ― W. Edwards Deming When it comes to organizational awareness of ...
NS and Club Car Tempo™ Walk Featured In Global Design News
Nottingham Spirk and Ingersoll-Rand’s Club Car Tempo™ Walk Robotic Caddie—a new stylish, autonomous technology that delivers ...
Listen, Work, Repeat
Long-term planning has never felt more like guesswork… By: Bill Nottingham This article was first published in the April issu...
6 Habits of the Most Innovative People
The reality is, most people struggle to be innovative more than once, but these practices lead to sustained inspiration. By: ...
Our New Reality is Augmented
Emerging technologies are creating portals for moving between the Physical and the Digital. By: Bill Nottingham Famed sci-f...
The Special ‘Ops’ Approach: Tips for Creating Multidisciplinary Teams
Relationships, trust, and common purpose are the fundamental elements of business innovation. By: Bill Nottingham This arti...
Medical Device Product Development: Don’t Overlook Documentation
By: Rebecca Blice, Biomedical Engineer Developing medical devices involves complexity typically not present when it comes to ...
Embrace Culture to Overcome "Zoom Fatigue"
Maintaining culture when everyone is scattered and stressed is difficult, but not impossible. The bouts of physical and menta...
Keeping Innovation Alive: The Road Ahead [Recap]
Business leaders talk to NS about the future of innovation in the third installment of our popular webinar series. In the thi...
Navigating Turbulence
Keeping innovation alive with your ‘growth mindset’ Written By: Bill Nottingham, VP of Growth at Nottingham Spirk This articl...
NS Named to Fast Company's The 100 Best Workplaces for Innovators
Nottingham Spirk joins notable companies like Alibaba, Dell, Etsy, Google and Nestle Fast Company announced its second annual...
Northeast Ohio playing sizable role in new disinfectant product
This article first appeared in the July 05, 2020 online edition of Crain’s Cleveland Business. [paywall] By: Rachel Abbey McC...
XR could be the future of socially distanced collaboration
Written By: Bill Nottingham, VP of Growth at Nottingham Spirk Before the coronavirus pandemic, most of us probably didn’t spe...
The Disruptive Power of Collaboration
Written By: Bill Nottingham, VP of Growth at Nottingham Spirk This article was originally posted in Candy & Snack Today. ...
Innovation in the New Normal Webinar Recap
Business leaders talk to NS about how they’re navigating unprecedented disruption For the second installment of Nottingham Sp...
Keeping Innovation Alive: Webinar Recap
It's difficult in the best of circumstances to maintain momentum on innovation projects. Nottingham Spirk is asking business ...
NS Leverages Partnerships to Produce Face Shields for Hospitals
Collaboration will produce up to 5,000 face shields per day through injection molding that can be mass produced for a fractio...
What to Consider Beyond “How Long Should a Focus Group Last?”
At Nottingham Spirk (NS), our Insights team fields a lot of questions from client partners who are interested in hosting thei...
Security in Connected Products is Now Everyone's Concern
Consumer Reports recently published an open letter to 25 companies that make connected home cameras, DIY security products, a...
Five Myths About Transformative Innovation
By John Nottingham In our five decades, Nottingham Spirk has worked with companies of every conceivable size, structure and c...
Thaw the ‘frozen middle’ of leadership for creativity to flow
A version of this article first appeared in the September 2019 issue of SmartBusiness Cleveland. Reprinted with permission. “...
Open Innovation requires a mindset shift
NASA’s Human Health and Performance Directorate is tasked with mitigating the risks to humans in spaceflight. In 2005, the bu...
The 95% Commercialization Solution
Note: This commercialization article was originally published by the National Academy of Inventors in Technology & Innova...
Biomimicry: The Future of Innovation
Northeast Ohio has long been known as a center for medtech innovation. But there’s another sector in which Greater Cleveland ...
John Nottingham at TEDxAsburyPark
"I'd like to have you remember the last time you saw something that made you say the word 'Wow.'" So begins John Nottingham's...
Innovation is an "Infinite Game"
Swimmers Michael Phelps and Chad le Clos appeared in one of the most memorable images from the 2016 Olympics. The photo (belo...
Empower Teams with Purpose
By Bill Nottingham Every three years, Lottery League brings together musicians from across Greater Cleveland and assembles th...
3 Key Takeaways from Front End of Innovation's Brightest Minds
A Recap of Bill Nottingham’s Trip to the Exclusive Innovation Festival Andrew Joyce and Bill Nottingham ventured east to the ...
Five scenarios suggesting you need a new category strategy
Nottingham Spirk’s PathFinder™ white space analysis program helps companies launch new businesses—and it isn’t just for those...
TEDxAsburyPark Preview with John Nottingham on “Getting to Wow”
John Nottingham will take the Paramount Theater stage in Asbury Park, New Jersey on May 18 for the 7th edition of TEDxAsburyP...
For true disruption, be “Gritty” in your approach
You don’t have to be a hockey fan to have heard of Gritty. Released into the wild in September 2018, the furry, orange, manic...
Don't stifle cognitive diversity in the workplace
This article first appeared in Smart Business – Cleveland, January 24, 2019. By Bill Nottingham Not long ago, we interviewed ...
PARTNER, INNOVATE, COMMERCIALIZE, DISRUPT: NS at CES 2019
The Consumer Technology Association (CTA) bills its massive, annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES), as “the global stage for...
Innovation Due Diligence: Looking Ahead, Not in the Rearview Mirror
John Nottingham, Co-CEO at Nottingham Spirk, shares his thoughts on what companies must do to reach their innovation potentia...
3 Tips for Perpetual Disruption and Increasing Innovation Success
By Bill Nottingham Richard Fiorelli, one of my design professors at the Cleveland Institute of Art, talks a lot about “kinshi...
NS Biomedical Engineers: “It’s About Making People’s Lives Better”
These are some highlights from a roundtable chat with our biomedical engineers: Jason Ertel, VP of Engineering; Ed Barber, Se...
Seize the Moment Between Meetings, That's When Ideas Take Shape
Fast Company reported recently on General Motors’ policy against using a cell phone while walking. That means no looking at a...
Technology Empowers Innovation
We preach the “soft science” of products that just work — the first time and every time — no matter how complex their functio...
Take Risks & Rock! — What Innovators & Musicians Have in Common
by Bill Nottingham Originally Published, Smart Business — Cleveland June 26,2018 The first time they jammed together, in 1980...
A little empathy goes a long way–and trust goes even farther
by Bill Nottingham Innovation requires risks. Does your culture encourage or discourage people from taking them? The Universi...
The Business of Play: Bill Nottingham and Brent Bushnell
Brent Bushnell is CEO of Two Bit Circus, which creates “entertainment that is imaginative and interactive, blurring the line ...
Boundary Crossing with The Marvel Method
John Nottingham has a saying: “Innovation is not something we do on Thursday.” His point is that creating is not an event, bu...
Musings: Where Do Ideas Come From? Part 3
We’re asked all the time, “How do you come up with new ideas?” The truth is, there’s no one answer. We’ve asked our associate...
Nottingham Spirk Out and About
At Nottingham Spirk, we believe in engagement — in industries, in academia and in our community. Here are a few examples. Not...
Get Out for a New Perspective
Clients and prospective clients ask us all the time about trends in various industries, bleeding-edge technology and new spin...
CES 2018: A Viewpoint from NS
By Bill Nottingham Autonomous vehicles were the headline-grabbers at the 2018 Consumer Electronics Show. Lyft offered self-dr...
Your Not-To-Do List: More phrases that stifle innovation
A recent post at FastCompany.com, titled “These Three Phrases Are Killing Innovation at Your Workplace,” generated a lot of d...
Musings: Where Do Ideas Come From? Part 2
We’re asked all the time, “How do you come up with new ideas?” The truth is, there’s no one answer. We’ve asked our associate...
Lessons from Google's "Moonshot Factory"
We highly recommend the recent Atlantic article “Google X and the Science of Radical Creativity,” which provides a rare glimp...
Biomimicry, the ancient, cutting-edge science
Nature is the ultimate innovator, but learning from it requires a new kind of thinking Many creatures can change the color of...
Musings: Where Do Ideas Come From?
We’re asked all the time, “How do you come up with new ideas?” The truth is, there’s no one answer. We’ve asked our associate...
If I Knew Now What I'll Know Then: Data-First Innovation
By Vikki Nowak, VP of Strategic Growth at Nottingham Spirk This article first appeared in Innovation Leader Magazine, Issue N...
The Business of IoT: What's your hardware strategy?
The “Big Data” era still needs devices, but developing and releasing them requires new ways of thinking. Juicero is a highly ...
Close the Innovation Gap: Strategic Alignment vs. “random acts of innovation"
Survey reveals that many companies grasp concepts but still struggle with implementation We appreciate reports like PwC’s rec...
Disrupt Markets, Enhance Lives
Technology that changes everything really just gives us more of what we already love. By Bill Nottingham © 2017 Consumer Tech...
Let's Change the World
Bill Nottingham is often asked to provide a tutorial to companies on how to be more innovative. If only it were that simple. ...
Design is Collaborative & Relentless: A (360) Round Table Discussion
“My work has been constantly involved in the struggle between fine arts and their development into some functional form of wh...
SXSW: A “Mini-CES” in Austin
There is so much happening at the South by Southwest (SXSW) conference in Austin that it can feel a bit overwhelming. Last ye...
Leadership By Design: Views from the Montgomery Summit
To foster innovation, executives need to be responsive as well as decisive. Spencer Rascoff at the Montgomery Summit At a tim...
Open Innovation: Insights Provide Roadmap from Ideation to Innovation
Our Vertical Innovation® process relies heavily on market and consumer research — not just at the outset, but throughout the ...
New Year: Resolve to Innovate More in 2017
Want to disrupt markets? Start by disrupting yourself. The “Eureka!” moment is a real thing, but it’s widely misunderstood. I...
Connected Mobility: CES 2017 was filled with moving experiences
The annual Consumer Electronics Show is so vast that everyone who attends can come away with different impressions about what...
MIT Sloan: Working Together Management
By Bill Nottingham Last month I attended an MIT Sloan Executive Education program called “Building Game-Changing Organization...
The Back End of Innovation is Critical
By Trevor Jackson, Manufacturing Program Director of Nottingham Spirk’s Global Resource Team. We work with a lot of partner-c...
Microinteractions in Packaging Design: Detail-Oriented Design Pays Off
Recently we asked four of our associates to discuss packaging design innovation and trends. The informal roundtable discussio...
Disruptive Product & Business Innovation Go Hand in Hand
Ideating is just the start. Can you identify and overcome the internal obstacles in the complex, winding path to market? Orga...
From "it can't be done" to "best of show": SmartMouth package design
Packaging World, the leading trade publication for the packaging industry, recently praised the Triumph’s SmartMouth Mouthwas...
Cleveland a Top Center for Medical Innovation & Design
The CardioInsight EC VUE™ vest, the first electrocardiographic mapping (ECM) device, represents a major step forward in non-i...
Innovation Perspectives: Designing for Seamless Care with Chronic Health Conditions
NS Innovation Perspectives Innovation Perspectives is a new series of viewpoints from key members of the Nottingham Spirk tea...
Top 5 Consumer Product Innovation Trends
We’re asked all the time, “What’s next?” That’s a hard question to answer; there are too many factors involved in determining...
Disrupt yourself before someone else does
Industries change so fast now that it’s not enough to stay ahead of current competitors. Businesses have to anticipate and he...
The Business of Play: Bill Nottingham and Brent Bushnell
Brent Bushnell is CEO of Two Bit Circus, which creates “entertainment that is imaginative and interactive, blurring the line ...
Troy-Bilt FLEX Wins Edison Awards Gold
The TroyBilt FLEX, a revolutionary, modular yardcare system developed in collaboration with MTD Products, took home a 2016 Ed...
Virtual & Augmented Reality: The Real Potential through Soft Science
We’ve been hearing for decades now that Virtual Reality (VR), the fully immersive experience that tricks your brain into beli...
For Product Disruption, Try Disciplined Style of Out-There Thinking
By Sonja Carberry for Investor’s Business Daily. Idea people think inside and beyond the lines. How they structure creativity...
SXSW Interactive: The Front End of Innovation
If the annual Consumer Electronics Show represents “The Back End of Innovation,” then the Consumer Technology Association’s p...
Innovation Insight: SmartMouth™ Mouthwash Delivery System
Plenty of companies talk about “customer-centered design,” but often what they mean is “designed to suit what we want custome...
Bloomberg Advantage: IoT Benefits Every Market
Bill Nottingham, VP of Growth, recently spoke to the hosts of the Bloomberg Advantage podcast. Here are some highlights. On t...
Innovation Navigation: An Interview with John and Bill Nottingham
John and Bill Nottingham were guests on Innovation Navigation, a SiriusXM satellite radio show from the Wharton School of Bus...
What does customer service have to do with innovation? Everything.
You return to your car and find that you’ve locked the keys insides, or lost them — what do you do? Most likely you pull out ...
Creative Collisions: The spark of inspiration for Vertical Innovation
Hackathons are popular, but are they useful? In an essay titled, “Why Hackathons are Bad for Innovation,” a consultant and an...
Innovation is not a thing we do on Thursday
Nottingham Spirk co-founder John Nottingham and Vice President Bill Nottingham spoke about innovation recently at Cleveland’s...
2016 CES Highlights & Trends: Displays Transformed
Virtual reality grabbed the most headlines at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas — and it was fun to watch th...
2016 Edison Awards: Three Client Collaborations Nominated
Three products designed by Nottingham Spirk are in the running for 2016 Edison Awards, which recognizes innovation. Two of th...
MTD Named A 2015 Lowes Innovation Partner of the Year
The Troy-Bilt FLEX outdoor power equipment system, which Nottingham Spirk developed with MTD Products, keeps winning accolade...
Millennials Are Changing Corporate Structure — for the Better
Millennials are prompting more companies to reconsider the traditional corporate hierarchy, according to Entrepreneur.com: “W...
A Mammoth Undertaking
Massive sculptures of a mastodon and a mammoth that once graced the walls of the Cleveland Zoo’s old pachyderm building will ...
Designing a $93M Medical Technology: A Behind the Scenes Look
Excerpt from the Qmed Article: While working a Case Western Reserve University, Yoram Rudy, PhD had the idea for a game-chang...
Smart Business: Innovation Factory
The October issue of Smart Business magazine features an extensive interview with John Nottingham and John Spirk on taking id...
Biomimicry is "Natural" Innovation
Every nature show you’ve ever seen has featured some marvel of evolution that puts human innovations to shame. The cheetah’s ...
Freedom and Responsibility Culture
As soon as Netflix announced its unlimited parental leave policy for new parents, doubters were quick to predict that the pol...
The Relentless Pursuit of Information and "Insights"
We’ve written about the importance of hiring creative people and fostering a culture that promotes risk-taking. But these sho...
Innovation and Education: We need more "STEAM"
An op-ed about the value of high school shop classes got us thinking and reading more about education’s role in innovation. T...
Troy-Bilt FLEX: Modular Outdoor Power Equipment
MTD Products, owner of several lines of outdoor power equipment (OPE) products, approached Nottingham Spirk with an unprecede...
CardioInsight Technologies Acquired to Advance Heart Mapping
The recent acquisition of CardioInsight Technologies Inc., a privately-held, Cleveland-based medical device company, will fur...
Learning To Innovate By "Making"
We were impressed with Westlake, Ohio teacher K. Scott Kutz’s recent op-ed in the Cleveland Plain Dealer, “In Defense of Shop...
The "open office" trend is not a one-size-fits-all solution for innovation
Reorganizing your office into one massive conference room could do more harm than good. In the 1990s, “cubicles” became symbo...
Maintaining The Culture of Creativity
"Organizational Charts" by Manu Cornet Cartoonist Manu Cornet created a series of “organizational charts” for some of the big...
Cub Cadet HAULER: Innovative Versatility
MTD (Headquartered in Valley City, OH), owner of Cub Cadet lawn and garden tractors, is partnering with NS to develop new pro...
CWRU & Nottingham Spirk Partnership for Innovation
Case Western Reserve University is already one of the top-20 schools in the nation for research funding. But the expanding th...
Shattered Glass: The Value of a "Soft Launch"
In May 2013, Bloomberg News declared that Google was “winning the innovation war against Apple.” Google is winning this war b...
Engineer Opportunities: Elsie's New Car
Innovation changes the world — and changing the world of just one person still counts. We were reminded of this by the above ...
2015 CES: Emerging Innovation
As usual, the gravitational pull of the tech giants at the recent Consumer Electronics Show was nearly inescapable, but we we...
Hiring For Creativity
MIT recently published a previously unknown essay on creativity written by Isaac Asimov in 1959. The Science Fiction icon had...
Commentary - "Goodbye, TiVo?" via Verge.com
This is a commentary piece based on an article found on theverge.com and written by Chris Ziegler. Chris is a longtime TiVo f...
HALO Bassinest: Innovative Solution for Co-Sleeping
HALO, the inventor of the SleepSack wearable blanket for infants, was founded by a couple who lost a child to Sudden Infant D...
Forbes Reinventing America: Invest In The Midwest
INDIANAPOLIS (November 13, 2014) - Ohio was well represented at the Forbes Reinventing America Summit. Featured speakers incl...
Innovation Brewing in Cleveland
NBC WKYC TV Cleveland featured Nottingham Spirk in a story about innovation brewing in Cleveland, "'I gotta tell you, this is...
BioInnovation Partnership
CLEVELAND (April 21, 2014) – Leaders of the Austen BioInnovation Institute in Akron (ABIA) and Nottingham Spirk, a national i...
Taming the Unruly Reciprocating Saw
For versatility and portability, no power saw can compare to the reciprocating saw. Held like a shotgun, the reciprocating sa...
Vertical Innovation®
For over 50 years, we’ve honed a unique process we call Vertical Innovation® – the alignment of resources and culture. Resour...
Successful Partnerships Get Innovations to Market
AdvertisingAge recently asked Nancy Hill, president of the American Association of Advertising Agencies, for her thoughts on ...
Nottingham Spirk Spring 2014 Newsletter
A Cut Above - Nottingham Spirk and Infusion Brands Tame the Unruly Reciprocating Saw For versatility and portability, no powe...
Relentless Innovation in 2014: Commentary
Relentless Innovation is Simultaneously Continuous and Disruptive In this month’s issue of Inc., Steve Blank spoke to the gra...
Empowering Innovators Intel Film Series
Intel teamed up with Vimeo to develop a film series called Empowering Innovators. The series explores the ways in which Intel...
Engineering Program Director: Nick
Under the Nottingham Spirk Innovation Center's roof is a bevy of talented employees. Some are outdoor adventurers and some ar...
Zurn Aquasense : Sometimes The Best Technology Is Hidden
Zurn tasked Nottingham Spirk to create a visually modern sensor faucet that would elevate Zurn's product portfolio above othe...
John Spirk: We Have to See the Invisible and do the Impossible
In a few weeks, John Spirk, along with 300+ innovators, executives, and elected officials, will take the stage at the Reinven...
The Invention Machine
Excerpt from Forbes article "The Invention Machine...": "The closest thing in America to Thomas Edison’s New Jersey laborator...
Design Team Project Manager: Carolyn
Under the Nottingham Spirk Innovation Center's roof is a bevy of talented employees. Some are outdoor adventurers and some ar...
Create a Culture of Innovation
At the core of Nottingham Spirk's business is a culture rooted in innovation. After 42 years in business, countless product l...
A New Years Greeting from Nottingham Spirk
Capitalizing on Core Strengths As we approach the New Year we are thankful for the many stakeholders who have made this a suc...
Creating Ways To Make An Impact: 70-20-10 Rule
First, you can't focus 100% of your research and development efforts only on your core product lines. Nottingham Spirk sugges...
Keep Big Ideas From Eating Your Core Business
Chuck Soder, from Crains Cleveland Business and host of Tech Talk Podcasts met with John and Bill Nottingham of Nottingham Sp...
DualSaw recognized on Uncrate.com
The DualSaw Reciprocating Saw is an example of a successful product collaboration between Infusion Brands and Nottingham Spir...
Spur Innovation, Go All In
R&D Innovation Quotes Investors.com, powered by Investor's Business Daily, includes R&D quotes from John Nottingham, ...
Rug Doctor® Launches Portable Spot Cleaner
Rug Doctor® recently introduced the Portable Spot Cleaner, the next generation in floor care. Nottingham Spirk partnered with...
Key to Success: Innovation
Key to Success: Two of Nottingham Spirk’s latest innovative products have been featured in Crain’s Cleveland Business. Nottin...
25 Most Innovative: Urgent Rx
Forbes’ 25 Most Innovative Consumer and Retail Brands Urgent Rx is known for their fast acting, over-the-counter, single-use,...
Sustainable Living Trends: LED Light Bulbs
USA Today on Sustainable Living Trends that feature Nottingham Spirk CLEVELAND, OH - The shift of switching from traditional ...
Nottingham Spirk: The Church of the Game Changer
Although Nottingham Spirk is not your typical office space, the atmosphere drives inspiration, creativity, and game changing ...
Exploradio Visits Nottingham Spirk
Earlier this week Jeff St. Clair, of NPR station WSKU, paid a visit to the Nottingham Spirk Innovation Center as part of his ...
RainX Perfect Dose Car Wash Now Available
Are you tired of the large jug of car wash solution sitting on your garage self? The at-home car wash process is now simple a...
NorTech Innovation Award: Nottingham Spirk/CardioInsight
NorTech Innovation Award received by CardioInsight and Nottingham Spirk. NorTech recognizes companies in Northeast Ohio for t...
Innovation Insights Winter 2013
In Innovation, Less is More What if there were five or six Beatles? Would the band still have changed music forever? Maybe. L...
Easing the Water Burden
In an era when complex innovations continually make our lives healthier and better, it’s easy to forget that much of the worl...
Innovation and Risk
© 2013 Getty Images Boeing’s troubles with the new 787 Dreamliner provide a painful reminder of the risks often associated wi...
In Innovation, Less is More
What if there were five or six Beatles? Would the band still have changed music forever? Maybe. Lennon and McCartney were inc...
Lockitron - featured in Time Magazine
Nottingham Spirk's Lockitron digital deadbolt solution simplifies your life by letting you leave your keys behind. The Lockit...
Ninja Innovation by Gary Shapiro features Nottingham Spirk
Consumer Electronics Association President and CEO Gary Shapiro released his new book Ninja Innovation: The Ten Killer Strate...
NY Times Interview Uncovers Barriers to Innovation
Ideating, creating, and implementing are three critical factors that go into a successful innovation. However, there are plen...
PackH2O Receives Popular Science Award
A water backpack, PackH2O, designed in collaboration with Greif, Inc., has been honored with a 2012 Best of What’s New Award ...
Business Hall of Fame Inductions
The Northeast Ohio Business Hall of Fame recognizes John Nottingham and John Spirk’s innovative work over the last 40 years. ...
CEA Industry Forum Feature
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - The annual Consumer Electronics Association Industry Forum took place on October 14-17 2012. This event i...
Innovation Leadership Keynote Address
John Nottingham and Steve Cashman Co-present Open Innovation Leadership Keynote PHILADELPHIA, PA - The third annual NineSigma...
Warp Speed Innovation Insights Fall 2012
5 Keys to Warp Speed Innovation Innovation is a messy, unpredictable process. And creativity and new ideas need time to germi...
Medical Device Partner Featured
Nottingham Spirk medical device partner CardioInsight was featured on August 19, 2012 in the Cleveland Plain Dealer as part o...
5 Keys to Warp Speed Innovation
Innovation is a messy, unpredictable process. And creativity and new ideas need time to germinate. But time is often an unaff...
Behind the Scenes at Nottingham Spirk: Bringing Concepts to Life
As anyone who has ever innovated knows, identifying a great concept is only half the battle. Testing and refinement are vital...
Nottingham Spirk Celebrates 40 Years of Innovation
In August 1972, two award-winning graduates from the Cleveland Institute of Art decided to pool their talents and prize money...
Innovation Awards for Scotts Snap System
"Spring was a rewarding season for Scotts Snap System, as its innovation and design elements were recognized at the 2012 Amer...
ViewRay MRI System Gets FDA Approval
The ViewRay MRI System, a client of Nottingham Spirk, has received clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Draw...
Sales Growth Driven by Innovation
Scotts credits their new Snap fertilizer system – developed by Nottingham Spirk – with helping to drive a 14% increase in sal...
Walk of Fame Plaque Design
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame unveils the first plaques for the Walk of Fame in Cleveland outside the Public Hall, where the...
Revolutionary Lawn Spreader
One of our business inventions is now available at national retail stores. The Scotts Snap™ System is a combination self-seal...
Bill Nottingham Carries on Inventive Spirit at Nottingham Spirk
Bill Nottingham's father, John, and John Spirk founded the company Nottingham Spirk in 1972 after graduating from the Clevela...
Cleveland Arts Prize
The oldest award of its kind in the United States, the Cleveland Arts Prize is a testament to the standard of excellence and ...
CamelBak Performance Bottle Makes It to Primetime
In NBC's TV hit series, Parks & Recreation, Rob Lowe is featured using one of Nottingham Spirks' very own inventions, the...
Toothbrushes in Need!
During a recent trip to visit my sister-in-law who was serving in the Peace Corps in El Salvador, we saw and experienced many...
Lawn Care Innovation With Scotts
What makes a lawn care innovation desirable? There are plenty of lawn care opinions, but we think our client Scotts Miracle-G...
Open Innovation Partner
What is an Open Innovation Partner? ...when a company goes outside of their own walls for breakthrough design and engineering...
Made In America
There’s been a lot of discussion recently about a resurgence in US manufacturing. Terms like “onshoring” and “insourcing” hav...
Medical Device Innovations in Cleveland
Nottingham Spirk is featured in a USA Today article profiling the revival of innovation in Cleveland. Nottingham Spirk has in...
Open Innovation Summit
At the recent Open Innovation Summit in Washington DC, featured speaker, John Nottingham shared best approaches for how compa...
NineSigma and Nottingham Spirk Partner
“NineSigma and Nottingham Spirk are teaming up to provide a new end-to-end solution that allows companies to take a product f...
Freon Free Cooler Saves Energy
Innovative Point of Sale Freon Free Cooler “After a client complained that sales of their regional juice products were laggin...
If Sustainability is the New Religion, Maybe it Belongs in Church
“Design partners John Nottingham and John Spirk thought so. Saving a beautiful old church and rehabbing it as a den of creati...
Ideas Made Here
“(Fortune Magazine) — If you happened to go shopping at the Wal-Mart Supercenter in Chardon, Ohio, about 30 miles outside Cle...
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