Traction Tire Scanner: From Workshop Idea to Patented Feature
From workshop sketch to patented product
At Mojio, a PM and I ran a “working backwards” session inspired by Amazon’s product ideation approach. One promising idea emerged: making tire health easier to understand and purchase.
My role as product owner was to explore this direction, moving from rough concept to prototype.
Evolving the idea into a scanner
We started with an in-app tire purchasing flow: tracking tire age, predicting wear, and surfacing replacement options. While mapping that flow, I kept pushing on a small add-on idea: what if a driver could simply scan their tires to know if it was time to replace them?
Through wireframes, prototypes, and user testing, that “tire scanner” concept gained traction. I built higher-fidelity mocks, worked with engineers on feasibility, and eventually created a prototype that showed how computer vision could flag worn treads or damage.
A patented feature that lives on
The scanner was well received internally, and our CTO—who also led the patent program—backed us to file. Engineering began training a computer vision model with tire photos (including my own car’s tires). The patent was eventually granted, and the technology now exists in market as TireCheck™.
This project highlighted how persistence on a “side idea” can create real product value. It also showed the power of design-driven iteration: what started as one rectangle in a flow diagram became a patented feature.
