Lecture given by Mark Billinghurst on Ideation Technique for the HITD 201 Design Thinking course. The lecture was given on December 16th 2013. The key things covered are Ideation Techniques from the book Idea Stormers, and how to use the formal method of TRIX for inventive problem solving.
6. Facilitating a Brainstorm
Energy
Keep ideas flowing, seed questions
Constraints
Add constraints that might spark new ideas
Process constraints – eg lack of time
Space
Create space for brainstorming
7. Idea Constraints
What are the most obvious solutions for this problem?
What can you add, remove or modify from those initial
solutions?
How would a 5-year-old child solve the problem?
How would you solve the problem if you had an
unlimited budget?
How would you solve the problem without spending
any money?
How would you solve this problem if you had control
over the laws of nature?
8. Selection
Narrow down brainstorm list
Hang onto ideas people excited about
Don’t worry about feasibility
Carry forward multiple ideas into Prototyping
Techniques
Post-it voting
Four categories method
- Rational, delightful, darling, long shot
Bingo method - Idea that inspires
9. Idea Storming
Idea Stormers book
Bryan Mattimore techniques
Case studies
Practical advice
11. Seven Creative Mindsets
Curiosity – always asking Why?
Openness – non judgmental
Embracing Ambiguity – two ideas at same time
Finding and Transferring Principles – look to
other fields
Search for Integrity – connecting elements
Knowingness – knowing there is a solution
World Creating – imaging new possibilities
13. Questioning assumptions
Challenge engrained beliefs/practices
Process
Decide how you want to frame your creative
challenge
Generate 20 or 30 assumptions you might be
making about challenge
Pick several assumptions and use them as thought
starters and creative triggers
14. Example: Mentadent (Gary Fraser)
Launched in 1993 – first baking soda and
peroxide toothpaste
Against Colgate and Crest
Assumptions questioned
Consumers won’t pay more
Consumers won’t buy refills
Need to dispense toothpaste in tube
Needed endorsement of dentists
15. Opportunity redefinition
Start with opportunity statement
Identify key words
Generate creative alternatives for words
Mix alternatives together to create
combination sentences
Use combination sentences as brainstorming
triggers
16. Example Catholic Insurance
How can we sell more insurance to Catholics?
Keywords: We, Sell, Catholics
We alternatives
Sales force, clergy, friends of Catholics, etc
Sell alternatives
License, give away, test-run, promote, etc
Catholics alternatives
Catholic doctors, Catholic schools, etc
17. Alternative Table
We
Sales force
The clergy
Friend of Catholics
Churchgoers
Family members
Sell
License
Give away
Promote
Advertise
Telemarket
Catholics
Catholic Doctors
Catholic Athletes
Catholic Students
Catholic Schools
Catholic Donators
Example: How can we get Family Members to
Give Away life insurance to Catholic Schools?
18. Wishing
Begin assuming anything is possible
Money, energy, time, etc are unlimited
Generate 20 – 30 wishes
Use wishes as creative stimuli to generate
novel but realistic ideas
Consider wishing from different perspectives
Role-playing wishing, target market wishing
19. Triggered Brainwalking
Paste a piece of paper on the wall for each
person in the group – use trigger terms
Each person goes to a piece of paper and
writes down an initial idea
Then rotate to the next paper, builds on the
existing idea or uses it to stimulate new idea
Keep on going for several rounds until back to
beginning and person can select best ideas
20. Example: Lipstick Product
Triggered with four prompts
Target market wishes
Category reframes (lip reshaping, lip firming, etc)
Benefit-oriented: lip massaging, freshening, etc
The worst idea technique
22. Semantic Intuition
Combine several categories of key words to
create a name for a new idea
Process
Create 3 categories of words related to challenge
Generate variations in each category
Randomly combine one word from each category
Brainstorm around result
23. Example: Detergent Promotion
Places in Store
Promotions
Benefits/Interests
Aisle
Gift with purchase
Clean clothes
Parking Lot
Buy one get one free
Getting stains out
Bakery
Floor stands
Fresh smelling
Frozen Foods
Redeemable Coupon
Family dinners
Pharmacy
Register Coupon
Baseball games
Flower Shop
Shelf talkers
Disney world
Trigger: Bakery, Gift with Purchase, and Clean Clothes
Idea: Cookies + Detergent promotion. Buy detergent and get
free cookie dough mixture. Eat a cookie while doing washing
and enjoy the smell of clean clothes and fresh baking
24. Picture Prompts
Select pictures related to problem
Pass out picture prompts
Ask for ideas inspired by the visuals
Share thoughts with partner and brainstorm
together
“Imagine the answer is contained in one of these
pictures. See if you can find it?”
26. Worst Idea
Create list of worst ideas
Keep going to generate worse and worse ideas
Use list of bad ideas to inspire a good idea
Eg: Banking services
We could round down everyone’s deposits
Bank of America “Keep the Change”
27.
28. TRIZ – Formalized Problem Solving
‘Teoriya Resheniya Izobreatatelskikh Zadatch’
Theory of Inventive Problem Solving
Developed by Genrich Altshuller (1940’s)
Working in Soviet Navy patent dept.
Analyzed over 200,000 patents
Developed innovation theory
29. Most Problems Already Solved
Levels of Inventiveness, Level 4 and 5 truly innovative
Altshuller screened over 200,000 patents
Over 90% problems has been solved before
30. Levels of Solution
Level #1 are simple improvement of a technical system using
knowledge available within a relevant industry.
Level #2 inventions include the resolution of a technical
contradiction using knowledge from different areas
Level #3 is an invention containing a resolution of a physical
contradiction using knowledge from other industries.
Level #4 is development a new technology. It is developed
by using breakthrough solutions that requires knowledge
from different fields of science.
Level #5 involves the discovery of new phenomena that
pushes the existing technology to a higher level.
31. Key Findings
Problems and solutions are repeated across industries
and sciences.
By classifying the "contradictions” in each problem, you
can predict good creative solutions to that problem.
Patterns of technical evolution tend to be repeated
across industries and sciences.
Creative innovations often use scientific effects outside
the field where they were developed.
32. Example: Drink Can Stacking
Want to stack drink cans for storage
We have no control over how high cans will be
stacked
Contradiction
Can walls should be thinner to reduce costs
Can walls should be thicker to support weight
33. Types of Contradictions
Eliminate contradictions to solve problems
Two types of contradictions
Technical – classic engineering trade-offs.
- The product gets stronger (good), but the weight increases (bad).
- Training is comprehensive (good), but keeps employees away from
their assignments (bad).
Physical – inherent contradictions (laws of physics)
- Coffee should be hot for enjoyable drinking, but cold to prevent
burning the customer.
- Training should take a long time (to be thorough), but not take
any time.
35. Applying TRIZ process
1. Identify my problem
2. Formulate the problem
Identify contradictions
3. Search for previously solved problem
Using TRIZ tools
4. Look for analogous solution and adapt
to my solution
36. Key TRIZ Tools
Engineering Parameters (Formulate problem)
39 standard technical characteristics that cause
conflict
Inventive Principles (Previous Solutions)
40 solution hints that will guide towards an
innovative solution
37. Engineering Parameters
1. Weight of moving object
2. Weight of nonmoving object
3. Length of moving object
4. Length of nonmoving object
5. Area of moving object
6. Area of nonmoving object
7. Volume of moving object
8. Volume of nonmoving object
9. Speed
10. Force
11. Tension, pressure
11. Shape
12. Stability of object
13. Strength
14. Durability of moving object
15. Durability of nonmoving object
16. Temperature
17. Brightness
18. Energy spent by moving object
19. Energy spent by nonmoving
object
20. Power
38. Inventive Principles
1. Segmentation
Divide an object into independent parts
Make an object sectional
14. Spheroidality
Use rollers, balls spirals
Replace linear parts or flat surfaces with curved ones
35. Transformation of physical and chemical states
Change an object's aggregate state
41. Example: Can Stacking
Principle 1: Increase Segmentation
Change wall from smooth to wavy
Principle 14: Spheroidality
Use curved can tops
Principle 35: Transformation
Use stronger alloy composition
42. Example - Segmentation
Divide an object into independent parts or make sectional
Problem: Long antennas are necessary for radio transmission but can
be broken when the car goes into a low-clearance garage
Solution: Construct antenna from cylindrical metal beads strung on a
wire. When the beads are loosened they can be compactly stored.
When the wire is tightened, the beads form a long, flexible antenna.
43. Example - Inversion
Doing something opposite to what is
currently being done.
Problem: Cattle are usually branded using
hot irons - - a painful procedure that
causes wounds prone to infection.
Solution: Irons cooled to liquid-nitrogen
temperature can be used. These irons do
not wound the animals, but instead
permanently discolor the hair at the
branding spot.
44. Example – Prior Action
Performing a required action beforehand or prior
placement of an object so that it can be used without delay.
Problem: Cattle feed consists of various cut grasses which are
mixed using special equipment. Producing the grass mixture by
sowing the various grasses together yields a crop difficult to till.
Solution: If the grasses are sown in narrow parallel strips and
harvested across the strips, they will be mixed in the receiving bin
of the harvester.
45. Assignment Five
ASSIGNMENT 1. Try applying one or more of the three innovation
principles of Segmentation, Inversion and Prior Action to the following:
Problem 1. Removing layers of insulation
Certain metallic surfaces must be coated with a thick layer of insulating material.
Removing this coating later is difficult, however. How might this be accomplished?
Problem 2. Unloading frozen material
Unloading loose, frozen material by first defrosting it can be an expensive procedure.
What other method would you recommend?
Problem 3. Bullet-proof windows
Initially, bullet-proof glass windows used on fighter aircraft had a serious defect: When a
bullet hit the window, a "network" of cracks would form in the glass and obstruct the
pilot’s vision. How might this damage be reduced?
46. More resources
Technical Innovations Centre – TRIZ training
http://www.triz.org
TRIZ Journal
http://www.triz-journal.com
Ideation International Inc
http://www.ideationtriz.com/