Tool Description
Much has been written about Creativity but few are the Action Tools or valid methods or strategies, when solving a specific problem or optimizing a product.
From 1950 to 1990 Altshuller, a Russian Jewish engineer, investigated in detail the patents developed in those years worldwide and what the innovation concepts had been in each case.
Altshuller developed a method consisting of forty principles, whose application is the field of specialists and its name is TRIZ, the Russian acronym for Theory of Inventive Problem Solving. His study takes several specific courses and a level of engineering knowledge that make it far from our objectives.
But the basis of the method is that Inventing is to remove contradictions (which according to his analysis are in the order of 1,550 contradictions in the 200,000 patents studied) for which he developed forty principles with his group of advisers, studying the 200,000 patents for inventions, new products and innovations.
From 1995 to the present, a group of several Israeli companies have worked in this TRIZ field and have simplified and unified several tools, in order to create the SIT Structured Inventive Thinking technique, sometimes called USIT Unified Structured Inventive Thinking, or Systematic Inventive Thinking..
We will call it Structured Inventive Thinking or its English acronym SIT.
This SIT method is structured in its development and focused on the problem, so that for its criteria the creative solution (convergent action) to a given social, technical or industrial problem does not always need to postpone judgment or a large number of ideas. (divergent action).
It is excellent for improving industrial products or systems.
Almost 90% of the design improvements of a product or service can be obtained with this method. It is not applicable to high innovation breakthrough products where only the TRIZ method is applicable.
The method is one of convergent Logical thinking and does not apply any divergent techniques, which are often harshly criticized by their followers.
These five logical tools are used:
a) UNIFICATION consists of assigning a new function to an existing component
b) MULTIPLICATION consists of introducing a copy or a slightly modified copy of an existing object to the system
c) DIVISION consists of dividing an object and reconfiguring its parts
d) OBJECT REMOVAL consists of removing an object from the system or objects from the vicinity
e) BREAKING THE SYMMETRY consists of changing the symmetric relationship to an asymmetric one between the components of the system or other objects in the vicinity
In addition, two core Principles apply. The Closed World Principle, which says that creative solutions exist mainly in the world of components of the problem / product or in its immediate environment.
Even in attacks such as that of September 11, 2003, where terrorists used everything from civilian aircraft training schools to free shop penknives to take passengers off the plane, this principle of a closed world can be detected.
For this method, a solution that incorporates new elements is NOT creative. The further we get away from the product and its environment, the less creative the solution is given, this is the heart of the closed world principle.
There is a James Bond film, where Bond falls into a river inside his car and as he assumes that the murderers expect him to float out, he breathes the air contained inside the tires for a while. Magnificent solution within the principle of the closed world.
This runs counter to the prejudice of trying to solve a problem by incorporating new objects into existing ones. Cognitist psychologists have shown this.
Make an experience.
You tried to create something by giving yourself 5 minutes.
You are paralyzed.
Now take an object from your desktop and apply the DIVISION tool.
You get several alternatives. Why?
Because you are more generative when you have a framework and apply known tools.
It is interesting to note in creative workshops that the more restrictions are given to a given problem, the more creative the solutions turn out to be, which, as we said, goes against what many people commonly think.
The second Principle of Qualitative Change says that there must be a change in the relationship between the components or objects in the vicinity that contribute to intensify or eliminate the undesired effect on the problem / product. This coincides with the fact that Innovating is eliminating a contradiction within our problem.
One must strive to find unusual relationships in the object to improve. For example, in eyeglasses from the 1950s, there was no change ratio between external light and the color of the lenses. Now you create a photochromic lens and can have one glasses for different lighting conditions. Or for example, currently the builders of large forged dies have related the dimension of the piece with the surface roughness, giving different roughness as appropriate.
This type of additional relationships to existing products makes one see such changes as inevitable. For decades shaving machines were the same for men and women, which changes today, in the same way with other cosmetic products.
You must choose the ratio that minimizes the unwanted effect or see if that effect is really undesirable, for example post-its were rejected in the beginning but someone saw the interesting utility of writing down on papers that little adhere to any surface.
Only by applying both principles at the same time do we obtain the necessary and sufficient condition to find creative solutions.
Sometimes it is necessary to apply several combined tools. Let's look at several examples first applied to products / services and then to industrial problems or improvements. These examples have been selected to facilitate understanding of the tools studied.
EXAMPLES APPLIED TO PRODUCTS / SERVICES
a) UNIFICATION scan in the product world to find other products whose functionality is fully or partially integrated into the existing product.
1-New use of candles
Product candles
World of birthday cakes
Unification: the candles are integrated into the cake, so that as they are digestible the children can eat them after lighting them.
2-New ideas for cell phones
Cellular product
Home world
Unification: your cell phone will be integral to the wired telephone line of your home in order to have a free wireless phone in your home
3-New ideas for restaurants
restaurant product
Service components: waiter, chef, table, chairs, menu, ingredients, drinks, waiter, customer,…..
The relationships already made include: self-service, menu written on the table or tablecloth, that the customer cook instead of the chef, etc.
Undeveloped relationships, as far as we know, are: a restaurant where the customer cooks following the chef's instructions and then eats his own food, or where a diner acts as a waiter, or where diners bring their fresh food (although there is something of this in Japan), etc., etc.
b) MULTIPLICATION multiply one component or more of the product / service in the same way but it may be different in size or function.
1 - New idea for a pickle jar
Pickles product
Refrigerator world
Multiplication There will be two bottles connected by the top and with an intermediate filter. This way, when the pickles are in the fridge, they will be at the bottom of the jar with salt.
When they should be served, the jar is turned over and the salted liquid drains down through the filter and leaving the pickles ready to serve.
2-New ideas for pharmacies
Components of the building service, departments, registers, products, packaging, cashiers, manager, etc. and the neighborhood around them.
Applying Multiplication let's see the relationships that have already been made. Pharmacy chain with different products depending on the city neighborhood, doubling the ATMs for packaging and claims, etc.
Undeveloped relationships, as far as we know, can be separate pharmacy departments for seniors and young people, cheapening certain products by selling them in packs of 3 or 6 units, etc.
3-Fictitious company
An advanced biotechnology company called McWhortle Enterprises, SA that developed a personal sensor that alerts one to the existence of biological weapons. Let's look at the company's website, “Now, for the first time, McWhortle Enterprises offers a product for the general public: The new Bio-Hazard Alert Detector. Running quietly on two AA batteries, this detector emits an audible sound and its lamp flashes when in the presence of all kinds of known harmful biological substances. The Bio-Hazard Alert Detector is small enough to slip into a vest pocket - sounds good, doesn't it? Wouldn't you be interested in investing in this company? Many investors were and contacted the company in question.
However, there is only one problem: The company does not exist. The idea of creating this fictitious company is from the American Security and Exchange Commission (SEC). In a statement to the press, this agency stated that by placing this ad on the Internet it was able to trap several naive investors. Why would such a serious agency do something like this?
It turns out that since the terrorist attack of 11, the panic caused by this and by the letters with anthrax, some irresponsible companies have tried to take advantage of different products that supposedly respond to the fear that the public has of biological weapons. Some of these products are nothing more than a scam.
In recent months, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has warned website managers to stop advertising products that claim to be effective against biological terror, even though no evidence of their effectiveness has ever been presented.. This includes added nutrients, gas masks that are not effective, and ultraviolet light instruments that are advertised as "anthrax killers."
The agency decided to educate public investors with sophisticated public relations practice. To demonstrate how easy it is to scam the public, the aforementioned agency created a fictitious company, set up a website for the company, and advertised it in the newspapers.
The way to combat the shell companies was… to create a shell company. This is an application of the Multiplication technique
c) DIVISION divide the product into its basic parts and reorganize them in time and space
1-New ideas for a wall clock
Product wall clock
Home world
Division the numbers will be separated from the clock in order to be able to place the large numbers on a wall of your house and create a giant clock
2-New ideas for refrigerators
Components: cold room, freezer room, doors, handles, ice cube trays, etc.
The existing relationships are to separate the freezer from the normal cold room, place the freezer down for greater accessibility, etc. etc.
The not-yet-developed relationships, as far as we know, are: shelves on the door on the outside side for placing dressings and cups, etc., separations in the cold chamber for foods with different storage temperatures, for example fish, dairy products, vegetables, etc.
d) OBJECT REMOVAL remove a component or part of the product / service and visualize the new product identifying its uses and benefits.
1- New ideas for television
TV product
World normal use at home
Removal of the object for example by removing the screen from the system so that the driver listens to his favorite program or the news without neglecting driving
2-New ideas for books
Product books
Components. covers, pages, text, editor, vendor, softcopy (digital version),…
Known relationships are paperbacks, cheap books, internet publishing, and so on. etc.
The relationships not yet implemented, as far as we know, are a sample book with the first chapters and the general syllabus, student books with half the theory and problems, books with the beginning of the novel and the final chapter, books to pay by chapter installments (Stephen King developed this idea), etc.
e) BREAKING THE SYMMETRY modify a symmetrical part of the product into something asymmetric. It is a very useful tool because it allows the rapid development of improvements to a product or service.
Forces to think about customers or the surrounding environment. The steps are:
Step 1 Choose a product or service
Step 2 List the components and surrounding objects
Step 3 Try to match the product / service with each cited component
1-New University service
Step 1 University product
Step 2 world: cite the components: students, cars, other universities, classrooms,….
Step 3 Existing and known relationships are: Paid parking for students or student exchange with other universities
The relationships not yet developed, as far as we know, are: Universities with a car repair shop for students or having a joint university library with other universities or similar analytical programs to change from one university to another without major disruptions.
2-New ideas for cars
Auto product
World regular use in the city or routes
Break the symmetry in time in order to vary the volume of the active cylinders depending on whether you are in the city or on the road
3-New ideas for puzzles
Puzzle product
World normal use at home
Breaking symmetry in space, for example by resizing the different pieces from one side of the puzzle to the other.
Thus two boys of different ages will play on his side and will meet in the center of the board.
4-New uses of the park's up and down
Product goes up and down
World the park or playground
Break the symmetry by creating a seesaw with seats at different distances from the support so that children of different ages and weights can play together.
EXAMPLES APPLIED TO INDUSTRIAL AND OTHER IMPROVEMENTS
a) Examples of UNIFICATION
1-EROSIVE GRAINS
A stream of air-dispersed grains flows through a curved pipe of a grain treatment plant. All the elbows of this plant must be changed at the annual stop and must be internally ebonized due to the erosion of these grains.
Normally the solution to this problem consists in reinforcing the pipe…. but the SIT solution consists in developing the UNIFICATION tool
We know that UNIFICATION consists of assigning a new function to an existing component, so that:
Step 1: List the closed world components of the problem, that is the pipes, the grains and the air flow
Step 2: Formulate the UNIFICATION Tool, that is, A type XXX component of the closed world must be used to prevent or reduce erosion of the grains to the pipes.
Step 3: Replace XXX with another component from the closed world. Look for a solution by changing the properties of XXX.
Here is an iterative process with each and every one of the objects until you find the right one and get a creative solution.
So.
1-Component XXX (the pipe) will be in charge of preventing erosion of the grains
2-Component XXX (Grains) will be responsible for preventing erosion of grains
3-Component XXX (Air flow) will be in charge of preventing erosion of the grains
If we observe point 2, the shape of the pipe can be changed so that the grains of the air stream collide against themselves and protect the pipe in bends.
Note that even points 1 and 3 can develop creative ideas. For example, improve the pipe or change the air stream for a liquid or other SURROUNDING substance that does not attack the walls where it circulates.
Notice that all solutions are within the closed world.
2-CHANGING THE CONTENTS OF A TANK
You have six large weigh tanks in a row where the first three are filled with fruit juices.
It is requested that an arrangement be made so that the content is alternated, that is, tanks 1, 3 and 5 are filled with fruit juice and tanks two and four are empty with fruit juice, but if possible moving a single tank due to its heavy weight.
Step 1: The components of the closed world are the tanks and the fruit juice
Step 2: Use UNIFICATION which is to assign a new role to an existing component. In other words, a XXX component of the closed world will be used for the new assignment.
Here this tool separates the tanks from the fruit juice and takes us to step 3. But it is understood that it is easier to move the juice than a tank.
Step 3: Replace XXX (fruit juice) with another component from the closed world. Look for a solution by changing the properties of XXX.
So the solution is to empty the content of XXX fruit juice from tank two into tank 5
Here is an iterative process with each and every one of the objects until you find the right one and get a creative solution. There is also the workaround of moving tank 2 to tank five and vice versa. But it is more expensive and requires two movements.
3-EDISON and UNIFICATION
People who visited Edison at his mansion were surprised to find that it took a lot of effort to open the doors to his property. As they struggled to open doors, many of them wondered: “How is it that Edison, being such a great inventor, cannot make his doors open easily? All you need is a little oil. "
Although many had ideas of this nature, none had the audacity to ask the inventor why his doors were so difficult to open.
Finally, someone asked him why he had not fixed the problem with the doors. “Problem?” Edison wondered, “No problem, the doors are connected to a system that pumps water from the well. Every time a person opens those doors, water is pumped from the well and that saves me a lot of problems ”. From our point of view there are two important elements in this story.
1. This is a classic example of how to use UNIFICATION. The action of “pumping water” is carried out by one of the objects of the system (the visitors). These people don't have that task. The doors act as a mediator between the visitors and the water.
2. There is a qualitative change: the attitude that one forms at the beginning of the story is the opposite of the attitude that is generated after Edison's response (surprise line).
At first it seems that the more difficult it is to open the doors, the more it affects Edison's image. However, the information that we receive at the end of the anecdote makes us understand that the visitors help to bring water from the well to the house strengthens the image we have of the great inventor.
Other examples of UNIFICATION:
- In a school in the USA where the girls used the bathroom mirror to test the color of lipstick, the orderly showed them that he cleaned the mirrors with water from the toilet and the problem disappeared. A new function was assigned to the mirror that fixed the problem.
- In the Iraq war the Americans applied the Unification with the playing cards and the faces of the Iraqi leaders to identify them. On the other hand, the various doubles of Saddam in different parts of the city, used the Multiplication technique.
- The “Walkman” that includes a radio and the microphone of the Walkman that serves as an antenna for the FM receiver.
- In the car radio the volume control that also serves to turn on and off. And the button of the transmitting station that also serves to incorporate it into the memory.
- The cap of a remedy that also serves to measure the amount of it or the amount of a detergent.
- A photocopier that is at the same time a printer, scanner and fax.
- The suitcases with wheels for their comfortable transport
- The antifreeze filament of car glass
- Include the instructions for use of a product in its packaging
- Aircraft passenger seats that are also floats
- Cell phones that are also photo cameras, message transceiver-receiver, electronic agendas, calculators, etc.
b) Examples of MULTIPLICATION
1-WHAT DID YOU DO TODAY AT SCHOOL
Your child is coming back from school and you want to know how his day went. So you ask: How was your day? And he answers: It was good…. and immediately turn on the TV.
Step 1: List the objects of the problem: Son, the story of his day, TV, father and nearby objects: the school
Step 2: The undesirable effect is that your child does not want to tell the story to his father and what you as a parent can change is to apply MULTIPLICATION to the story.
The MULTIPLICATION involves inserting a copy or a slightly modified copy of an object existing in the system
Step 3. So imagine a slightly modified copy of the object but NOT as exactly the same object as possible and there is a desired interaction between the new object and the original.
Here is an iterative process with each and every one of the objects until you find the right one and get a creative solution.
It can be a new story about a day at school where your child participates in it. And you begin by recounting the facts you know about school, and details and facts about your life as a student until you receive your child's entry into history.
Try to do the same with the object Tv and school
Other examples of MULTIPLICATION:
- Hybrid cars (gasoline and electricity), - Drinks packs of six units, - Lighting a fire downwind to escape an upcoming fire, - The use of vaccines that stimulate the immune system, - Homeopathic medicines
- In SONY a new video game needed for its testing of large CPU capacity and the way to obtain it was by placing all the company's PCs on the network
- In chicken farms it is common for an animal to be injured and bleed. The problem is that this blood attracts other chickens and roosters that attack the injured animal. The solution is to place red light that totally disguises the bleeding. In other words, we have a problem with the color red and we add red light.
- The use of blue light so that veins cannot be seen and drug addicts in the Netherlands do not use public toilets. They are pressured to go to hospitals for treatment. We have a problem with blue veins and we added blue light to cover it up.
- The use of an alarm bell to intimidate possible thieves from entering a house, since sometimes there is not even an alarm system behind the bell itself.
- The razor blades that started with one blade and are now three.
- Remove the red wine from a folder by means of the white wine
- A mirror site on the internet of the Tucows type
- A computer mouse with three buttons
- KAPRO measuring tools that add a bubble level to their instruments or illuminated displays for low light, etc.
- Penknives that function as nail clippers, bottle openers, etc.
c) Examples of DIVISION
1-STICKER about products
Many companies provide their employees with stickers to their cars for parking in city centers.
Sticker manufacturers are required to ensure that a sticker is not transferred to another car. The conventional solution is based on changes in the glue, but using the DIVISION tool we can obtain a creative solution.
Step 1- List the components of the closed world: car, sticker, driver, parking.
Step 2 - Use the DIVISION that consists of dividing an object and reconfiguring its parts, that is, A component of the closed world is divided or cut into many parts to prevent the sticker from being transferred from one car to another.
Here is an iterative process with each and every one of the objects until you find the right one and get a creative solution.
The creative solution is to cut the sticker into five-by-five squares, in such a way that it is difficult to take off. Normally, you start with the component that is most suitable to be divided and create a simple and effective solution.
This is used on street posters or letter envelopes to prevent them from being opened and re-closed after viewing their content.
2-BAROMETER OF ANDINISTS
Mountaineers use delicate barometers to measure air pressure at high altitudes. A Manufacturer has discovered that the metallic materials of the barometer components are very sensitive to extreme cold.
Investigating such materials is honorable and time consuming as complaints pile up.
An assistant using the SIT methodology tells you the following.
Step 1: List the objects in the problem: barometer, cold air, and surrounding objects. Mountaineer, mountain, ice, snow
Step 2: Select an object that can be divided for example Barometer and explode its parts: display, electronic components, wiring, pressure sensor
Imagine which part could be separated, or treated differently from the others or disappear and think what would happen in that part, since DIVISION consists of dividing an object and reconfiguring its parts
Here is an iterative process with each and every one of the objects until you find the right one and get a creative solution.
To make it short…… we see that of the multiple alternatives that you find, if you separate the electronic components from the rest of the barometer and establish it in the body of the climber, which has a constant temperature of 37 degrees, you will have a barometer with its electronic components attached to the body, which will prevent future claims.
Other examples of DIVISION:
- A French company placed stickers with the barcode separated from the 10-liter drums, so that by removing the sticker, the cashier at the market did not have to carry the heavy drum.
- In refrigerators the separation between freezer and cold room.
- Products that mix two components to make the mixture sticky
- Monitors with divided screens as in alarm control panels
- Cell phones with GPS that divide user data from others
- Split compressors with internal distributor and external compressor
- Payment in installments of a good or service
- It has been shown that people who watch TV in the mornings should know the time and the programs that incorporate that time on the screen are more viewed. It is possible that people who have to do other tasks are very aware of the time. The idea of placing temperature, time, etc. on the screens it arose in Holland.
- The separation of the control of the cassette from the cars to avoid theft
- The separation of the TV from its remote control for comfort
d) Examples of OBJECT REMOVAL
1-BABY CHAIR
As there are tables of different heights, baby seats usually have a different distance between the chair itself and the table, causing inconvenience to the baby.
Step 1- List the objects in the system: chair legs, seat, baby's weight, leg strength and nearby objects: table.
Here is an iterative process with each and every one of the objects until you find the right one and get a creative solution.
Step 2: If we apply that OBJECT REMOVAL consists in removing an object from the system, let's see what happens if we remove the chair legs object and transfer this task to the baby's weight, to compensate for the restructuring.
By the principle of the closed world the function of the removed object will be performed by the table itself. So the new chair will have no legs and will use the table itself to support the baby's weight.
2-BREAKING ICE
Icebreakers use their strength to climb on ice and break it under their own weight, but this process is very slow and uneconomical.
Step 1: List the system objects: icebreaker element on the keel, ship weight, tanks and the nearby objects: sea water and ice.
Step 2 The weight of the boat needs tanks to float and give it enough weight.
Here is an iterative process with each and every one of the objects until you find the right one and get a creative solution.
If we apply that OBJECT REMOVAL consists of removing an object from the system, let's see what happens if we remove the icebreaker element and to compensate for this, we divide the tanks into at least two parts applying the DIVISION concept that consists of dividing an object and reconfiguring its parts.
The part of the ship that is on the ice that is conventional and the part of the ship that is in contact with the ice. Both parts are connected by a wall that offers no resistance to ice.
3-ESCAPE FROM A HELICOPTER
The government and security entities have requested that helicopter pilots be able to eject before using parachutes in the event of mechanical failures.
But it is impossible to eject because of the danger of the antlers or the rotor. Sideways ejectors have been tried but are expensive.
Let's apply the method to see where we get.
Step 1. List the problem objects: pilot, rotor, and nearby objects: air, helicopter.
Step 2 Select an object to remove eg rotor REMOVAL.
Step 3 Imagine that object, that is, the rotor, that comes out or is removed before the pilot ejects. So if the pilot decides to eject it is because the rotor is no longer needed, so we can separate it with some mechanism.
Other examples of OBJECT REMOVAL.
- In Europe, some cities eliminated high-speed sensors by measuring the time it takes for the vehicle to go from one toll to another
- NASA unsuccessfully tested many materials to protect the shuttle as it entered the atmosphere, but only reached the solution when it was decided to install ceramic tiles that peel off with high temperature
- Frameless glasses that are lighter and more aesthetic
- A TV without a screen being only an FM receiver suitable for the blind and vehicle drivers
- A walkman that only plays and does not record music
- Banks with incorporated insurers without insurance agents
- The concentrated juices of soups, soft drinks, etc. without water
- The public auction without given prices
- The removal of lead from gasoline, or sugar from beverages or caffeine from coffee, etc.
- Recently in an international magazine we had the news of a Russian Muscovite who, having detected that the sales of his pickles rose when there was traffic congestion, had the great idea of removing a traffic sign and placing it on his street. It took the police several days to realize this modification and the worst thing was that when it was published in newspapers, there were several followers in different cities of the same mill.
e) Examples of BREAKING THE SYMMETRY
1-THE CANDLES
When the candles burn, the wax flows to the base and stains the table or birthday cakes in an undesirable effect.
Step 1: List the components of the system: wax, flame, light and wick and objects in the vicinity: air, birthday cake.
Step 2. After trying other tools, see what happens with Breaking Symmetry.
BREAKING THE SYMMETRY consists of changing the symmetric / asymmetric relationship between the components or functions of the system and other objects in the vicinity.
Here is an iterative process with each and every one of the objects until you find the right one and get a creative solution.
Imagine that the selected object has different locations, is different at different times, etc. Of the various components, start with the wax.
Investigate the most important physical parameters of WAX: radius, location along radius, melt temperature, material, color, odor, etc.
Step 3. Observe that the wax can be modified so that the melt temperature, which is correlated with the location parameter along the radius, can be increased with a higher value, that is, place wax on the outside of the candle. that melts at a higher temperature than the wax closest to the flame, which melts at a lower temperature.
In this way the outer wax forms a receptacle for the inner molten wax.
2-THE GYM
Service components type of equipment, instructions, cost of membership, instructor, toilets,….. and nearby variables: suitable hours, number of members, age of members, functional music,….
The relationships that have been developed are: happy hours (lower cost at infrequent hours), personal instructor by the hour, instructions for each team, etc. etc.
The pending relationships are: personal exercise card (giving parameters of the person: weight, height, etc.) and remembering the previous sessions and giving the future program, or incentives for training in the cafeteria or the fee, or an exercise instructor without devices when there are many people, or replacement instructions for the same equipment, etc. etc.
3-IMPROVEMENTS TO A WRISTWATCH
Watch components: dial design, dial numbers, alarm, mesh type, night illuminator,…..and nearby variables: time, air, water, date, country, day or night, personal taste, age of the user,…..
The relationships between components already executed are: sports, executive, submersibles, interchangeable tights to combine with clothing, local and foreign time, etc. etc.
The pending relationships can be: incorporating a cell phone with temperature and weather, or automatic synchronization with your local time for travelers, or singing your birthday song on certain established dates, or incorporating an illuminator as soon as it gets dark, or a clock of both sides (one digital and one analog) and with different colored meshes or one with normal time and on the other side with a timer for cooking, etc. etc.
4-FINES ACCORDING TO YOUR INCOME
A NOKIA executive was recently fined $ 10,000 for driving at 75 km / h in a 50 km / h zone.
It turns out that in Finland the amount of the fine depends on the income of the driver. The government of Finland broke the symmetry between the amount to be paid in the fine and the income of the person.
5-CHANGE OF MATERIALS
We had already designed a container of medical supplies for the CNEA and then the need arose to manufacture a new type of supplies for the Asian market.
The problem was that these medical sources were 10 centimeters longer and the container already approved by the regulatory authority regarding the calculation of the radiological shielding, did not make that difference to be used as it was being manufactured in special stainless steel.
The various SIT tools were applied and the result of using BREAK THE SYMMETRY showed that the lid of the container could be of less thickness if a material of higher density was used.
Thus, only a tungsten cap was manufactured, which was used only for the transport of these medical supplies. The rest of the container was not modified.
Other examples of R OMPER THE SYMMETRY
- The new Intel chips that vary their energy consumption according to operational requirements, - In several schools in Korea, as students bring drinks to the classroom and pour it onto the keyboard, they have changed the position of the keyboard for those who use drinks, being upright. If it is more uncomfortable but it works.
- In multifocal lenses the distance to the focus depends on the angle of vision of the eye successively
- In sunglasses where the darkening of the lens depends on the lighting from outside
- "Domino" pizzas in the US where the cost of pizza depends on the delivery time to the customer.
- The different width of the shoes in certain shoe brands
- The left mouse for non-right-handed people
- The 3-point basket in basketball where if it was made outside the arc the point is triple and inside it is double.
- The preparation of English tea that places the milk first and then the hot water
- Figures that have a double interpretation depending on how the background looks, for example you see a figure and two glasses
Plenary exercise
1-Observe that sometimes not only one tool can be applied, but for example a combination of several of them, that is, remove an object and then apply Unification.
For example, in a congested Italian city, the following strategy was used regarding badly parked cars.
As it was costly and congestion increased, the transport of these infringing cars was resolved by removing the patent (Removal of object) and after the offender paid the corresponding fine, the patent for his vehicle was delivered (Unification). It is Simple and effective.
2-Sometimes you work on a single product and apply the different tools, for example "Optimize a toothbrush"
Let's see if we apply BREAKING THE SYMMETRY (it is almost always the most useful tool because of its productivity) for example:
-Changes are obtained in the brush head for a triangular shape, so that the first bristles are of less width to reach inaccessible areas of the mouth.
- These first bristles will be harder
- Two types of bristles, being soft at the ends and hard in the center
- Colored bristles on the stops to indicate that the brush should be replaced with wear.
- Internal receptacle with toothpastes
- Bristles at 45 degrees in the middle of the brush to access the interstices of the tooth
- Use / NO use indicator to alert of a bad cleaning habit
- Within BREAKING THE SYMMETRY is what some authors call ADJUSTMENT TO THE ENVIRONMENT and which consists of interpreting from another perspective the relationship between the components of the brush: handle, head and bristles, with the nearby environment: hand, lavatory, microbes, mouth, eyes, mirror, water, gums, plaque, teeth, orthodontic treatment, etc.
When the relationship or contact between the component and its environment is improved, interesting results are obtained, for example:
- Flexible handle reduces gum damage
- Non-slip handle for improved hand control
- Bristles with microtexturing in all their length for effective removal of bacterial plaque
- Arched bristles to control posterior teeth
- Gum brush with soft bristles and massagers of the same
- Receptacle with sterilizing liquid for microbes, to contain the brush before use.
- Bristles for orthodontic treatment with cleaning of the wires and braces of the same orthodontic
- Receptacle of residual liquid from tooth washing
Let's see if we apply DIVISION (it is the tool with the highest added value without extra costs) but this tool is not applied much because we do not understand its advantages in depth.
A new utility must be extracted from each component of the object, for example:
- Retractable handle for travelers
- Flexible gasket in the middle of the brush to better fit the tooth and reduce damage
- Bristles crossed at different angles to better remove bacterial plaque
- Replace only the bristles and keep the handle
- Shaped rotating handle along the axis for easy handling
Let's see if we apply MULTIPLICATION (it is the most understandable and direct) for example:
- The components are: handle, head, bristles, and its logic is to multiply, for example, the bristles on both sides of the brush to clean different areas of the mouth or with two rows of bristles at 90 degrees and clean the front and the side of the tooth or with three rows of bristles to clean the front, the side and the other side of the tooth.
- or two heads turned 90 degrees with a single handle.
Let's see if we apply OBJECT REMOVAL (which is proof that sometimes less is more) and focuses on the components: handle, head and bristles.
Simply remove a component (no handle, no bristle, no head) or a part of the component, for example remove the bristles only in certain parts or create holes in the handle to make it lighter.
In addition, the head can be reduced to clean crossed teeth or bridges or make a pin or hole in the handle to hang it from a support or a cavity in the head to incorporate the toothpaste or a suitable handle to the fingers of the hand.
Sometimes with a total OBJECT REMOVAL, that is, removing a component completely, interesting results are obtained, for example a video player (without recorder) or a sleeveless jacket
Let's see if we apply UNIFICATION (which is what is generally done after an OBJECT REMOVAL with something of the same product or with a nearby component).
But UNIFICATION focuses on the components, that is, handle, head and bristles.
For example, the pressure tooth cleaner with mouth water where the bristles are replaced by mouth water or the finger brush where the handle is replaced by the finger, and which is very popular in Japan for boys.
With this example, although I am not a specialist in toothbrushes, since the different SIT tools are applied to the same product, they are more explicit
Presentation of results and discussion of the technique
- Note that practically all the alternative solutions are found by this method
- Note that it is fully structured. What gives security in your job and saves a lot of time when the problem is urgent. The study and application of TRIZ or some method of searching for Kepner and Trigoe type Faults, Weibull statistics, etc. they usually take at least a year. This SIT methodology is learned in a few days and results are obtained immediately
- It does NOT require a lot of input data, it can be applied both individually and in groups, it is economical and anticipates future changes with minor modifications of a product.
- Comparisons made between the use to the same product of the techniques of Provocation, Creation of alternatives and Chance versus this SIT method, yield faster and more precise results with the SIT.
For example, compare those obtained for the toothbrush with the PROVOCATION and that indicated in the previous item with the SIT technique.
- Note that the DIVISION tool is sometimes found in the bibliography or the Internet as DISTRIBUTION, the OBJECT REMOVAL tool is found as REDUCTION, and the BREAKING SYMMETRY tool is found as ADDING A DIMENSION or ADJUSTMENT TO THE ENVIRONMENT.
- Of course, mature products tend to have less scope for creativity than conservative products. The toothbrush is already a mature product.
- If you have a conservative product, you should get many more ideas than in the case of the toothbrush.
- The systematic thing about SIT is that it uses precise tools and also anticipates the future market, which makes it better than random creative techniques because it is predictive. Its use since 1999 has been considered irruptive to the generation of new ideas and creative thinking in the industry and its development is now being investigated in the social sphere.
Principles and tools of the technique
The Closed World Principle indicates that there are creative solutions in the world of components of the problem / product or in its immediate environment.
The further we move away from the product and its environment, the less creative the solution is, at least in terms of the cost of implementing the change.
The Principle of Qualitative Change says that there must be a change in the relationship between the components that intensify or eliminate the unwanted effect on the problem / product.
Both principles must be applied at the same time, since this way we obtain the necessary but sufficient condition to come up with creative solutions.
The SIT tools are five, viz.
UNIFICATION consists of assigning a new function to an existing component
MULTIPLICATION consists of introducing a copy or a slightly modified copy of an existing object to the system
DIVISION or DISTRIBUTION consists of dividing a component of the object and reconfiguring its parts
OBJECT REMOVAL or REDUCTION consists of removing an object from the system or objects from the vicinity
BREAKING THE SYMMETRY or ADDING A DIMENSION or ADJUSTING THE ENVIRONMENT consists of changing the symmetric relationship to an asymmetric one between the system components or other objects in the vicinity
Sometimes they must be used in combination. The previous sequence generally goes from lower to higher utility or added value, with little extra cost for the added modification.
Something that orders the thought to BREAK THE SYMMETRY, since it is necessary to visualize the relationships between the components or functions of the product and other objects in the vicinity, it consists of making a MATRIX and from there studying the dependencies or not.
For example for a cell phone. Its own components are the color, type of sound, screen information and battery charge. The external components or objects in the vicinity are: the user's age, gender, profession and the hour of greatest load.
Thus the battery status and the screen information are related but not between the sound and the caller.
In standard cell phones the screen does not work if there is no battery, but you can create one where by an auxiliary battery the user knows who is calling him even in case he runs out of the main battery.
Or you can create a cell phone where the sound responds to who is calling you.
You thus have ideas to study if users will want them or if they are commercially viable
Innovations that have emerged in the workshops with SIT
Using these tools these ideas were developed:
1-New ideas about elevators
- Recognize the residence floor of the person entering the building by their entry card
- A glass-roofed elevator for the claustrophobic
- An elevator that closes the doors when full of people
- An elevator that stops at the next floor when a fire signal is triggered in the building
- Two adjacent elevators that allow to be coupled together to act as a forklift
2-New ideas about credit cards
- Rhombus-shaped
- A divisible or double card with the business card and the private card
- Card with an electronic chip to transfer transaction data to the PC
- Card with place for the name, title, email and cell phone in case of loss
- Card with locator chip in case of loss
3-New ideas about microwave
- Smoke detector or rapid evaporation of a built-in liquid
- Micro waves with transparent walls
- Micro waves with removable walls for cleaning
- Micro waves with temperature sensor to attach to food
- Micro waves with sound sensor alert when the popcorn has stopped jumping and is ready
- Microwave with radiation loss alarm or other malfunction
4-New ideas for a table lamp
- Lamp with removable head that can be used as a flashlight
- Lamp with a receptacle to warm gloves or hats in winter time
- Lamp that fits in a drawer and comes out as a surprise box
- Lamp with two flexible tubes for adjacent tables
- Lamp with projector for slides or shadows on the wall
- Lamp with presence detector that turns on when you use the table
- Lamp with its base with erasable notepad
5-New ideas for rugs
- Carpet with a different design depending on how the hair is combed
- Carpet with one design on each side
- Elastic carpet that shrinks or lengthens according to the dimensions of the room
- Carpet with stickers to prevent it from slipping
- Carpet in pieces, lego type, that is easily disassembled for washing.
- Carpet that according to use varies its drawing
- Carpet with inflatable cushions to use alternatively as a bed
- Heated rug for winter use
SIT application exercises
1-THE ALIEN
Suppose you are an alien and you are asked to leave a message for the next generations of people using the Unification tool.
What object would you use to leave a message that will remain unaltered for thousands of years.
Rta. Would use on people's own DNA
2-THE BANK PARKING
A bank provides parking services to its customers, but people take several hours as they go shopping at nearby businesses.
How would you solve this using the closed world principle.
Answer: Only cars with their lights on will be allowed to park as customers will rush to avoid draining the batteries.
3-HOW IS IT DISTRIBUTED?
How to distribute between 6 people 5 blocks with BREAK THE SYMMETRY?
Rta Cut 3 apples into halves and 2 apples into thirds, then each person is given a half plus a third, which is 5/6
4-THE STEEL CYLINDERS
There are 30 stainless steel cylinders manufactured and due to a failure in quality control, 3 of them are stainless steel of a lower quality than required.
Using the closed world principle how would you identify these three cylinders.
Rta Scratching a hard cylinder with each of the 3 soft cylinders will have a notch, which will denote that it is a cylinder with soft material.
5-HOW TO TEACH DIFFERENT PEOPLE QUICKLY
You must teach SIT to students from various companies with different educational profiles.
All of them are potential clients to apply the SIT in their companies or their daily life. How would you teach it?
Rta:
1- Build a list of Components. Educator, class, students, companies, daily situations, methodology.
2- Objective to apply SIT and try to give novel ideas regarding eliminating or minimizing undesirable effects
3- Undesirable effects:
- Little time, - Different thinking habits, - Strict monitoring of the project
UNIFICATION: A new function will be assigned to an existing component, which can be modified in its parts.
You wonder how to eliminate the undesirable, under what conditions will the idea work, or what are the assumptions?
Is the closed world principle and Qualitative Change fulfilled?
Thus we have the following development:
U1-The educator will apply the SIT and groups of students will solve various problems in class and at home
U2-Between all it will be resolved How to improve the classroom environment to teach better SIT
U3-Each student will bring a problem, one of the total is selected and solution groups are formed with less than 5 members
U4-Each student's problem will be his own company
U5-In case of having permission to see business problems, the same applied to daily situations are considered
MULTIPLICATION: An object of the same type of the components or slightly modified to those existing in the system
You wonder how it interacts with the existing one? or combine part of both objects or use only part of the new object?
Is the closed world principle and Qualitative Change fulfilled?
Thus we have the following development:
M1-The educator will invite other creatives to exchange experiences with the students
M2-The library, the parking lot or the cafeteria will officiate class for any of the topics
M3-In a special session the students will invite their children to talk about the SIT
M4-An imaginary company with a particular problem will be created and the students will role-play to reach a solution
M5-A daily situation, for example My son will ask me about chemistry, biology, etc. and you have neither memory nor time to answer. How you will use the SIT
DIVISION The object will be divided into parts and these parts will be arranged in time and space.
Play around with different arrangements or break or modify connections between one part and the new one.
Thus we have the following development:
D1- The educator (who is also a teacher, a student and a consultant) will not only show examples of books but also cases of his consulting
D2- Students (who are employees and non-employees) will form mixed groups of employees and non-employees
D3- The class (divided into seats and empty spaces) will be combined in different ways.
D4- The company (divided into real and virtual) will solve some problem of the real company and a new virtual company will be created in some market niche using SIT.
D5- A project to search for relationships between daily and equivalent situations at home and at work
D6- The methodology (divided between theory and practice) will be done first with a brief theory followed by a test exercise and then with all practice
BREAKING THE SYMMETRY Selecting a group, characteristic, parameter and trying to find relationships, for example:
- In different places there will be different values of the characteristic.
- At different times there will be different values of the characteristic.
- For each selected group there will be different values of the characteristic
Thus we have the following development:
RS1-The educator will have different levels of knowledge, for example when the students explain their answers the educator will pretend that he does not know the subject
RS2- The student will have different technical and administrative capacities, that is, the problems will be combined
RS3- Companies, whether they are creative or not, will use examples of good and bad experiences.
RS4- Daily situations with positive and negative characteristics, examples will be developed in both directions
RS5- The methodology will emphasize the theoretical but on other occasions the practical, for example that a product is developed as a prototype, with its market study and investment cash flow.
OBJECT REMOVAL An object from the system or the surroundings is removed. This function will be assumed by some of the remaining objects.
Thus we have the following development:
O1- Remove the educator, for example: Some exercises will be carried out by a student
O2- Remove the student, for example: The entire course will be given to educators, who will then give it in groups of two to the students
O3- Remove the class. For example: a virtual class will be developed for some students who prefer it with exams from time to time.
O4- Remove the company, for example fancy names will be used to avoid legal problems
O5- Remove daily situations, for example: The course will focus business and technical aspects avoiding daily situations
O6- The methodology is removed, for example One group will use SIT and another will not. Then the results are compared.
9- Now the ideas are selected or combined, verifying that there is a qualitative change between some variable and the principle of a closed world.
- Time-saving solutions (remember the undesirable effect of little time):
U3- Each student will bring a problem, one of the total is selected and solution groups are formed with less than 5 members
M4- An imaginary company with a particular problem will be created and the students will role-play to reach a solution
D6- The methodology (divided between theory and practice) will be done first with a brief theory followed by a test exercise and then with all practice
O5- Remove daily situations, for example: The course will focus business and technical aspects avoiding daily situations
RS2- The student will have different technical and administrative capacities, that is, the problems will be combined
RS5- The methodology will emphasize the theoretical but on other occasions the practical, for example that a product is developed as a prototype, with its market study and investment cash flow.
- Habit-forming solutions (remembering the undesirable effect of different thinking habits)
U1- The educator will apply the SIT and groups of students will solve various problems in class and at home
U2- Together it will be resolved how to improve the classroom environment to teach better SIT
M1- The educator will invite other creatives to exchange experiences with the students
M2- The library, the parking lot or the cafeteria will officiate class for any of the topics
D3- The class (divided into seats and empty spaces) will be combined in different ways.
D5- A project to search for relationships between daily and equivalent situations at home and at work
O1- Remove the educator, for example: Some exercises will be carried out by a student
O6- The methodology is removed, for example One group will use SIT and another will not. Then the results are compared.
RS3- Companies, whether they are creative or not, will use examples of good and bad experiences.
RS4- Daily situations with positive and negative characteristics, examples will be developed in both directions
- Follow-up Solutions (remember that a strict Follow-up of the project was required)
U4- Each student's problem will be their own company
M3- In a special session the students will invite their children to talk about SIT
M5-A daily situation, for example My son will ask me about chemistry, biology, etc. and you have neither memory nor time to answer. How you will use the SIT
D1- The educator (who is also a teacher, a student and a consultant) will not only show examples of books but also cases of his consulting
D4- The company (divided into real and virtual) will solve some problem of the real company and a new virtual company will be created in some market niche using SIT.
O2- Remove the student, for example: The entire course will be given to educators, who will then give it in groups of two to the students
O3- Remove the class. For example: a virtual class will be developed for some students who prefer it with exams from time to time
RS1- The educator will have different levels of knowledge, for example when the students explain their answers the educator will pretend that he does not know the subject
6-CHANGES IN THE WRITING PEN
Describe the changes that you find in the evolution of a writing pen with its inkwell to a ballpoint pen.
Answer: These changes or optimizations were adjusted to your purpose (writing element) and to your close environment (hand, paper, ink tank, pocket of a shirt or a briefcase, etc.)
Evolution has at least:
- Replacement of the pen with a nib (steel ball), for better fit of the hand and comfort when writing Replacement of the inkwell with an interchangeable cartridge that adapts to the pen and makes it easier to move A cap was added to hold the pocket Replacement of the pen by a ball mechanism for uniform writing and prediction of ink losses
7- IDEAS ABOUT CARS
Answer Some may be using the five tools.
- Alarm lights when there is a vehicle less than xxx meters from yours
- A cat and dog safety seat
- A mechanism that prevents crossing streets with red lights
- A car with a transparent floor to better park
- A removable trunk that becomes a briefcase
- Rubber filled wheels that do not deflate
- Smart headlights that take the road when you are turning
- Chassis that takes off more or less from the floor depending on whether you want to go at more or less speed
8- PEST OF FLIES
Great efforts have been made to convert a certain area of Ezeiza into a suitable area for agriculture. But there was a problem: an infestation of flies was ruining the plants.
All conventional pest extermination methods were tried, but it turned out that killing the flies required a large amount of pesticides. That would produce unacceptable environmental damage.
Finally, one of the researchers suggested something unusual: introducing many more flies into the area! How can this be possible?
Answer: When we use MULTIPLICATION, we solve the problem by introducing a new object, but of the same type as one of the existing ones in the problem world.
The object that is inserted, even if it is of the same type, is usually slightly different from the original. Furthermore, there is often an interesting interaction between the new object and the original.
It turned out that in that particular species of flies, the females were rendered sterile after mating. That specific feature was the key to the solution.
Huge numbers of sterile males were introduced into the area as they were irradiated with gamma rays. They mated with the females, and the fly population was drastically reduced.
The problem was solved by using a slightly different copy (sterile) of an existing object (flies). The solution also incorporates the interaction between the original objects and the new ones (mating).
This case study further exemplifies that
1. Uniqueness: The solution takes advantage of the unique characteristics of the problem at hand. In this case, it was the fact that this species of females only mated once before becoming sterile.
2.The problem is the solution: we use the same object that we want to eliminate to solve the problem.
9-THE NEMATODE
There is another similar problem related to agriculture. There is a particularly aggressive nematode in potato fields.
The nematode encysts itself in a capsule so that it is not damaged by pesticides or any other conventional measure.
Biological investigations revealed a unique feature: when potatoes are planted, the nematode can detect the odor, and it comes out of the capsule, destroying the crop. How would you solve this problem?
Rta. Applying the different tools we can obtain the solutions:
a) Take a sample of the nematodes and proceed in the same way as the previous exercise, that is, implant sterile nematodes.
2) The development of antibodies in the plant, product of the selective attack on it through several generations of it. With which it could be achieved in the case of potatoes, a more resistant tuber to the attack of said nematode.
3) The development of genetic modification techniques to achieve specimens with superior resistance to the attack of nematodes.
4) As the defense of the nematode is its envelope, which makes it "impregnable", and it only abandons this defense due to the smell of the potato, what if we throw potato waste at it prior to planting? nematode is exposed and defenseless to be eliminated and also the added value of the compost.
Well! The solution that was actually given is number 4. The only thing that needs to be added is that once the nematode comes out due to the smell… it starves, because it is not sown until a few days later.
The solution is simple and ideal: you don't need to use any pesticides. Notice how the peculiar characteristics of the problem are used to solve it.
10-THE JEEP WITHOUT NAFTA
“Returning from a trip through an uninhabited area in a jeep, we ran out of fuel. We were less than 2 km. from the nearest gas station, but only 7 minutes from closing time. Obviously we wouldn't have time to walk there to fill a tank. What do you think we did?
A: I had deduced in several workshops that creative solutions are similar to conventional ones, only that the strategy followed was different.
That's why I thought about the problem for a while and then answered what I would have done: "I would blow air out of the front tires." My friend's response was: 'What? I don't see what it has to do with it ».
The problem is that the jeep is less than 2 km from where it is supposed to be. What do you do in a case like this in the conventional solution? You just get in the jeep, start it, and drive it where it should be. "But it's out of gas!"
I found enough gas to get to the gas station. The fuel is located at the bottom of the tank, and the reason for its existence is that the hose that brings the fuel to the engine is not level with the surface, but a little higher (to prevent sediment from entering the engine).
In this way, when the jeep is "out of gas", in practice there is still a little at the bottom of the tank.
Now all we need is to think about how to raise the fuel level so that it reaches the hose.
My idea was to simply tilt the jeep. This is the reason why I suggested they blew air out of the front tires.
Actually, a friend solved the problem a little differently: He put some stones inside the tank to raise the fuel level. Now the problem he had is how to get them out, but that's another story.
11-THE FLASH
When taking a photo with a flash, the pupils do not have time to adjust to the new intensity of light (the pupil adjusts by decreasing its size to let in less light). As the pupil is so dilated in the photo, fine tissues of blood appear inside the eye and make it look red.
One of the ways to solve this problem is to use… the flash itself. How?
Answer: Since the flash is the root of the problem, it can also be the source of the solution. Many cameras today have a double-flash flash.
The first flash gives the pupil time to adjust to the light intensity. And the photo is taken with the second flash of the flash, when the pupil has reduced in size.
The red eye effect disappears and you have used Multiplication on your camera
12. THE ELEPHANTS
According to the Multiplication technique, the problem is solved by adding an object of the same type to one of the existing objects. If, for example, a wheel is an object in the problem world, it is possible to add another wheel. If there is a virus in the problem world, another virus can be added, etc.
The object that is added is generally not identical to the original object. For example, the wheel that is added may be different from the original in diameter, material, and almost any other characteristic. As long as the object can be called a wheel it can be added to the world of the problem. Here's an interesting anecdote that demonstrates this concept:
Between 1997-2002, 40 white rhinos were brutally killed in the Pilansburg National Park in South Africa. The culprits of this disaster were several young elephants.
How did the park guards manage to stop the slaughter? You guessed it: they introduced more elephants!
What was the difference between the new elephants that were brought in and the original elephants? The new ones were older, and their simple presence helped restrain the raging hormones of the younger elephants!
13. NEW PRODUCTS
To develop original and creative products we must inject them with the correct doses of restrictions. This is achieved by applying the Closed World Condition that defines precisely that type of restrictions and verifying the qualitative change between any of its relationships.
Let's review the following list of products:
- Multifocal glasses
- Stereophonic system
- Hotmail
- The furniture manufacturer Ikea
- Pure water
- Dell computers
- Diesel engine
At first glance it seems that there is nothing in common between these objects: they are in different fields, most are physical products, although Hotmail is a software and Dell and Ikea are business ideas, while the Diesel Engine and multifocal glasses are inventions scientific. What do they all have in common?
A: A closer look reveals that they have applied SIT
- In multifocal glasses the lens is polished in a different way, but it adds no new element. (Breaking the symmetry) In the stereo system some parts (the speakers) have been doubled, but no new parts are added. (Multiplication) Hotmail removes the client software and uses an exit application (the Internet browser) to read the emails. (Object Removal and Unification) Ikea eliminates the assembly process of the furniture and transfers it to its consumers. (Unification) Manufacturers of pure water removed all flavorings and presented water without additives as a successful product. (Division) Dell computers abandoned traditional distribution channels and sold their equipment directly to end consumers. (Unification) In the diesel engine there is no ignition,so much cheaper fuel is used. (Object Removal)
Do you appreciate it? All these products were developed from their predecessors without adding new types of elements, and in some cases, even removing parts of the previous product. They have applied SIT tools and all adhere to the fundamental principle of new product development, called the Closed World.
Definitely:
We begin by listing the essential elements of a product - both its physical components and attributes, such as color, weight, or price. We also look at the immediate environment of the product, again identifying both its physical aspects and characteristics such as ambient temperature or age of the user.
So, following each of the SIT tools, we manipulate those elements to generate something new.
This new entity, called “virtual product” must comply with the Closed World Condition, which is our starting point for developing product ideas.
What develops the idea from the virtual product to a real one is the identification of a target group that can benefit from the unique characteristics of the virtual product and the adaptation of the product to the wishes and tastes of that group.
In outline form, the process is as follows:
Existing Product + SIT Tool -> Virtual Product + Adaptation -> New Product Idea
As you can see, we always start with what we really have. Pablo Picasso, an ultra creative person, said that “There is no abstract art. You always have to start with something. After all, you can't eliminate all the signs of reality. "
The role of SIT Tools is to help us generate promising virtual products, leading to original and winning new product ideas.
The OBJECT REMOVAL Tool guides us to create a virtual product by removing an essential component of the product. By removing the screen from a TV one can come up with the idea of a mechanism that allows a driver to listen to his favorite TV shows.
Likewise, once we remove an essential part of the product, but replace it with an element from the nearby environment, we do an object removal and unification, for example by eliminating the TV screen and replacing it with a computer screen, you can have a card that allows you to watch TV from the computer.
The UNIFICATION Tool is a reverse process: our product now performs the function of other products in the environment. So we have a wristwatch with a calculator and a mini agenda.
The MULTIPLICATION Tool consists of selecting a part of the product and adding some more parts or slightly modified parts to discover new benefits. Thus we have battery packs or drinks for several units.
The DIVISION Tool asks that the product be divided into two units in different ways and that the parts reorganize to generate new capabilities. Thus, in split compressors we have a distribution device in the room and the external compressor
The BREAKING THE SYMMETRY Tool is to remove some aspects of the symmetry of the product, thus pain relief pills of different sizes in the same package.
The consumer chooses the pill according to the intensity of the pain.
14 TV COMMERCIALS
A commercial presented these days shows this phrase on its first blue screen: "The following images are terrible and have been censored"
A second red screen reads: "In Bosnia a mother is forced to witness the outrage of her 4-year-old daughter"
Two more screens relate the horribleness of the war.
The last screen says: "Just because you don't see it, it doesn't mean it doesn't exist."
"Amnesty International"
Here the removal of an object is palpable: the photos, also shows respect for the public that fills in the missing information and last but not least, the production cost is minimal.
15 THE PERPECTIVE OF A BALLET
In the production of the ballet Nutcracker, the director wants to produce a visual effect by reducing the figures of the hunters who enter the forest through a bridge.
But the stage is extremely narrow in width. What can you do?
Rta The tall hunters pass close to the audience, while a second row of shorter hunters do so further back and a third row of boys cross the bridge and get lost behind the set.
Recognize BREAKING THE SYMMETRY.
16-THE BIRDS BOX
Juan prepared a birdhouse on top of a tree.
When he finishes it, the cat appears …….
What can Juan do to keep the cat away from the birdhouse?
Rta Juan places a smooth aluminum plate around the tree and the cat cannot climb.
Recognize BREAKING THE SYMMETRY.
Oscar Isoba is a chemical engineer dedicated to promoting creativity in education and marketing.
He is currently completing the edition of a book on Generation of ideas and creative thinking, which he wants to make available free on the Internet for users throughout Latin America.
He is a project manager for an engineering and industrial works company.
Download the original file
