I’ve not done any of this hence why I posted here to see if others in the community had experience of doing such things. To your last point I’m fully aware certain brands get many submissions and why I said I don’t want to come across as an “inventor” but be the legitimate designer I am.
I think at this stage in terms of IP I’d prefer to sell them the idea and claim a royalty on each unit sold. I’d probably even be happy with a flat fee as it fits with some of my career goals at the moment to have product out in the world. I’d also use this as a stepping stone to be on their radar for more projects as I see they do with other designers.
To answer John, this particular idea is nowhere near any level of greatness that I’d want to try and get it into the world myself via Kickstarter funding and dedicate my time to manufacturing, marketing and selling. I’m not so precious about the overall design intent being retained but as mentioned before, being on the radar and having the credential of designing products for a respected housewares brand.