Previous 4.4 Idea sketching

Method

We already gathered countless ideas from the different futures we imagined. To add another perspective, we will also add a more analytic approach and take a look at TRIZ. In “An Introduction to TRIZ: The Theory of Inventive Problem Solving” Darrell Mann describes it as: “[…]the Theory of Inventive Problem Solving. TRIZ is a philosophy, a method, and a collection of problem definition and solving tools and strategies. The whole emerges from one of the biggest studies of creativity ever conducted with over 1500 person, years of research, and the study of over two million of the world‘s most successful patents built into it.” (30)

He explains that the key findings of TRIZ research are...

“that all innovations emerge from the application of a very small number of inventive principles and strategies
that technology evolution trends are highly predictable
that the strongest solutions transform the unwanted or harmful elements of a system into useful resources.
that the strongest solutions also actively seek out and destroy the conflicts and trade-offs most design practices assume to be fundamental.” (31)

But if TRIZ has all we need to create innovation, why has this method not caught on? In their “digital innovation playbook” the agency Dark horse Innovation describes it like this:

“The problem is in the details: it is easy to derive abstract mechanisms from specific solutions, but it is difficult to derive new specific solutions from abstract mechanisms. However, this method helps us to come up with new ideas. It is a good addition to brainstorming [...] if we feel like we have not had any really innovative ideas yet.” (32)

One of the research results of TRIZ are 40 innovation-promoting principles and mechanisms, some of which we will use to generate additional ideas. (33)

40 inventive principles, the most popular component of TRIZ

Here are the five out of the eight principles Dark Horse Innovation adapted in their TRIZ method that we can use:

“Segmentation and separation: Can we segment the previous solution or separate a part?
Adaptation to the location: Can we include an adaptation to the local conditions? What would our solution in extreme places look like?
Coupling and integration: To what could we couple our solution? Where do completely new potentials arise all of a sudden? What can we integrate that does not fit at first?
Reversing function and dynamicity: What if we reversed the function of the previous solution? What if the solution were dynamic instead of static!
Turning harmful into useful: What is harming the most so far? Can we utilize this? Can we use it for something else?” (34)