The Idea Box

Thinking within the box Attribute Listing, Morphological Analysis and Matrix Analysis are good techniques for finding new combinations of products or services.

THE IDEA BOX

Morphological analysis "Morphological analysis is simply an ordered way of looking at things."

(Fritz Zwicky: "Morphological Astronomy", The Observatory. Vol. 68, No. 845, Aug. 1948.)

"... within the final and true world image everything is related to everything, and nothing can be discarded a priori as being unimportant."

(Fritz Zwicky: Discovery, Invention, Research through the Morphological Approach, 1969.)

Morphological analysis • Morphological analysis (problem-solving) is a method for exploring all possible solutions to a multi-dimensional, non-quantified problem.

• Fritz Zwicky, discovered what we now call dark matter, devised his own method for systematically structuring and investigating the many possible relationships of complex problems.

• The object is to break down the system, product, or process problem at hand into its essential parameters or dimensions and to place them in a multi-dimensional matrix. Then to find new ideas by searching the matrix for creative and useful combinations. Some combinations may already exist, others may not be possible or appropriate. The rest may represent prospective new ideas.

• When to use it – Use it when exploring new and different ideas.

– Use it to help unblock you when you are stuck.

– Use it to force a different way of thinking.

Example

Example

Leonardo DaVinci Leonardo DaVinci’s grotesque heads and famous caricatures are an example of the random variations of the human face made up of different combinations of a set number of features.

Leonardo DaVinci’s Idea Box He would list facial characteristics (heads, eyes, nose, etc.) and then beneath each list variations.

Leonardo DaVinci Examples

Random connections Choose as many parameters as you want, and then come up with as many variations for each parameter as you can think of.

“Connect Random Ideas” Technique Column A Jeans Leaves Heart Notebook Sunscreen lotion

Column B Bees Rainbow Door Doll Nail

Postcard Noah’s Ark

Banana Insect repellent

Umbrella Bikini Coffee Cup

Fork Nail file Peanut Butter

Choice To give you an estimate of the amount of ideas you can come up with, a box with ten parameters, each of which has ten variations, produces 10 billion combinations of the parameters and the variations.

Exercise The item

The task • Imagine you want to create a new lamp.

• Use the morphological analysis technique.

• Properties of this lamp may be power supply, bulb type, light intensity, size, style, finish, material, shade, and so on.

• Set these out as column headings on a table, and then brainstorm variations.

Thinking within the box Can get a little rubbery.