I C G

www.xtriz.com

To Possible Through the Impossible

Systematic Creative Imagination Development

Valeri Souchkov Enschede, The Netherlands February 25, 2012 Wroclaw, Poland

Valeri Souchkov
ICG Training & Consulting University of Twente Board, The European TRIZ Association ETRIA R&D Council, International TRIZ Association MATRIZ

Trained over 4.000 people Assisted over 100 Innovative Projects 2 books, 80 publications

2012 Valeri Souchkov

Role of Imagination
Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and understand. Albert Einstein

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Contents
Why do we need to develop creative imagination? Link between TRIZ and Creative Imagination Development (CID) Examples of CID techniques Discussions

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Modern TRIZ
Logic for problem diagnostics and analysis, Inventive Patterns and Principles that define problem reformulation, system analysis new out of the box solution strategies

Analytical Logic Analytical Logic

Knowledge Bases Knowledge Bases

Process Support

TRIZ and Systematic Innovation

Creative Imagination Creative Imagination Development Development
Methods for fighting psychological inertia, techniques for out-of-the-box thinking

Philosophy and methodology Philosophy and methodology of innovation of systematic innovation and systems evolution and systems evolution
System thinking, contradiction-oriented thinking, resource thinking, Theory and Trends of Technology Evolution
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How TRIZ helps

TRIZ SOLUTION PATTERNS AND INVENTIVE PRINCIPLES
ABSTRACT PROBLEM ABSTRACT SOLUTION IDEA

SITUATION ANALYSIS
Left Brain

SPECIFIC PROBLEM

SPECIFIC SPECIFIC SPECIFIC SOLUTION IDEAS SOLUTION SOLUTIONS

EVALUATION & SELECTION Right Brain

TRIALS & ERRORS

SEARCH SPACE

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HOW ?

Creative Imagination

Answer: by boosting creative imagination From Merriam Webster: Creative: having the quality of something created rather than imitated Imagination : the act or power of forming a mental image of something not present to the senses or never before wholly perceived in reality In psychology: Productive Thinking (vs. Reproductive Thinking)
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Some Titles
Both Sides of Your Brain: New Mind-Mapping Techniques (Third Edition), Tony Buzan, Plume, 1991 Serious Creativity: A Step-by-Step Approach to Creativity on Demand, by Edward de Bono, HarperCollins, 1992 101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving, by Arthur VanGundy, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. , 2005 101 Creative Problem Solving Techniques: The Handbook of New Ideas for Business, by James M. Higgins, New Management Publishing Company, 2005 Ideaspotting: How To Find Your Next Great Idea, by Sam Harrison, HOW Books, 2006 The Ten Faces of Innovation, by Tom Kelley and Jonathan Littman, Doubleday, 2005 Creativity today: Tools for a Creative Attitude, by 2012 Valeri Souchkov
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Random vs. Systematic

Majority of modern creativity techniques: divergence by random techniques, as much as possible away from systematic methods TRIZ-based Creative Imagination Development: Systematic Approach to Divergence

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Evolution of Mind: Evolution of imagination

Alive Non-alive Alive mountains, talking trees, walking flowers Stone trees and animals, wooden flowers, ice people Feature transfer Humans with four legs; humans with wings Animals with human heads Talking animals A house with legs that can walk Fantastic creatures Elves, dragons, fairies Extreme extrapolations A see that never ends Endless villages Humans of a sizes of a mountain Eternal life Absolute happiness
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Modern Times
Science fiction Condensed light Time travel Space travel, underwater travel Telepathy Energy shields in Star Trek Death Star in Star Wars Futurology Predictions based on extrapolation of scientific, technological, and social trends

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What they say

Everything that a man can imagine, others will be able to bring to life. Jules Verne

It seems that possibilities to manage our thinking process are endless. They cannot be exhausted, since human mind the greatest instrument of cognition and transformation of the world can transform itself, too. Who can tell what the limits of humanization of a human being are? A mind will be perfecting itself as long as human beings will evolve. We are in the very beginning of the road. G. Altshuller
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Impact of Science Fiction

Total # of ideas Implemented # % Fate of ideas Confirmed possibility # % Not implemented # %

J. Verne H. Wells A. Belyaev

108

64

59

34

32

10

9 11 6

86 57 66 20 23 9 Thomas Edison: Jules Verne is my favorite writer 50 21 42 26 52 3

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Mechanism of Creative Problem Solving

Mechanics of ordinary creative problem solving: SWI model: Search by trials and errors Waiting Insight (if happens) What is difference between ordinary creative and strong creative minds? Ordinary mind: Sticking to known concepts, variations at a small scale, copying. Creative mind: Extreme extrapolations and non-linear jumps instead of minor variations and modifications.

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Peaks of Creative Imagination

Impact of early education: fairy tales, fantasy books, cartoons, movies, games

0-10

10-20

20-30

30-40

40-50

50-60

60-

Out of school, Change of environment

Change of life values

odule Ribot, The Psychology of Creativity, 1896

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A classical approach
10 Ways to Generate Ideas & Increase Productivity: 1. Take a nap. 2. Make small talk with strangers. 3. Go to classes, workshops, or conferences. 4. Hang out with creative people. 5. Allow yourself some creative loafing time. 6. Walk, bike, swim or jog. 7. Work in different places. 8. Let your brain reboot. 9. Brainstorm. 10.Get out of town.
Found at: http://psychology.suite101.com/article.cfm/how_to_increase_your_creativity
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How to train and develop?

Would these help?

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Only Practice Helps

Development of Creative Imagination is practice: Train to see things within a system (multi-screen) Invent crazy new things real and fantastic Visualize non-visual things mentally or on media Imagine what and how Creative storytelling Development of Creative Imagination is diversity: Reading different publications related to innovative products, ideas, services and not from a single area! Connecting remote ideas to your area of practice Connecting your area to other areas

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CID Techniques
Diversity (Disconnection) Thinking: Focal objects Focal domains Morphological combinations Hybridization Principles for Creative Design Abstract Thinking: Abstraction of terms Method of Miniature Dwarfs Subject-Action-Object (SAO) Patterns Functional Approach Intensified Thinking: Ideality Ideal Final Result Parametric Intensification ( inc. Breakthrough Thinking: General Principles for Conflicts Elimination Method of Trends Collision Gold Fish Multi-Screen and Evolutionary Thinking: Multi-Screen (9 Windows, System Operator) Analysis Generic Trends of Evolution Multi-level design Fantogramma

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CID Experience

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Focal Objects (Method of Associations)

1. Select an object (noun). This will be your focal object. 2. Randomly take up to three totally different objects from scratch (nouns). Use Go to the bookshelf method. 3. Make a list of some (main, but not necessarily) functions/features of these three objects (processes). Those can be: functions delivered by an object or by its parts, composition, colors, any other feature or characteristic of the selected object. 4. Assign all these functions/features of three selected objects to your focal object 5. Imagine what will happen with the focal object and its environment (supersystem) if the object will have each of these functions/features. How will it change,
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Example: USB Stick

Example: Our focal object: USB stick. We want to find new ideas for the USB stick. Three objects selected from scratch: A tree A glass A key

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Example: Describing features

Objects tree Features Can grow Produces branches Wooden Produces flowers Produces leaves Has roots Drinks water Provides shadow Transparent Invisible Hard Can have colors Opens doors Made of steel Slim Has relief Hangs on chain ring
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Focal Object USB stick

glass

key

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Example: Transferring Features

Objects tree Features Focal Object Features Can grow Has branches Wooden Has flowers Has leaves Has roots Drinks water Gives shadow Transparent Invisible Hard Can have colors Opens doors Made of steel Slim Has relief Hangs on a ring Can grow USB stick Produces branches Wooden Has flowers Produces leaves Produces roots Drinks water Provides shadow Transparent Invisible Hard Can have colors Opens doors Made of steel Slim Has relief Hangs on chain ring

glass

key

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Example: Generating Ideas

Objects tree Features Can grow Produces branches Wooden Produces flowers Produces leaves Has roots Drinks water Provides shadow Transparent Invisible Hard Can have colors Opens doors Made of steel Slim Has relief Hangs on chain ring Focal Object Features USB stick Can grow Has branches Wooden Has flowers Has leaves Has roots Drinks water Gives shadow Transparent Invisible Hard Can have colors Opens doors Made of steel Slim Has relief Hangs on a ring Ideas Can increase memory capacity Composed of smaller USB sticks? Redwood luxury USB stick Nice picture for kids

glass

Transparent USB stick

key

Colored transparent USB stick USB stick as electronic door key Vey slim USB stick A key merged with USB stick USB stick with a key ring

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Creative USB Sticks

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Variation of a technique: Focal associations

The same as the method of focal objects, but instead of a specific object, we select a whole class (category) of objects. For instance, if a focal object is a car, then we should select a hole category (class) of objects transportation vehicles.

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Hybridization
1. Select your object. 2. Randomly select a number of other objects (usually 3-5). 3. Place the selected names of the objects to a matrix 4. Select any cell in the matrix. 5. Present main function(s) and feature(s) of each object in a selected cell. 6. Generate ideas on how to create a new object which will combine some functions/features of both objects. 7. Record ideas for the selected combination. 8. Select another cell in the matrix and repeat the process.
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Combination Matrix
Your Object Object 1 Object 2 Object 3 Object N

Functions / Features Results:

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Combination Matrix
Laptop Coffee cup Orange Umbrella

Functions, features

- Stores coffee - Circle shaped - has handle a laptop with a container for coffee (and as an extra colling system)

- Provides nutrition ... - Provides vit. C - Has bright color - Laptop of an ... orangedesign - Orange showing a number of calories, etc.

-Protects from rain (humidity) - Protects from the sun -Umtop: A laptop with a built-in umbrella hidden inside. -Water-proof laptop which becomes an umbrella -Laptop which opens as an umbrella

Results:

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Hybridization Combinations

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Technique: Multi-level Design

LEVEL LEVEL 1 LEVEL 2 LEVEL 3 DESCRIPTION A single object which produces a certain result (function) Multiple objects which only together produce the same result (function); Inventing conditions under which the same results (functions) as at Levels 1 and 2 are produced, but without an object Inventing conditions under which the need for results (functions) disappears.

LEVEL 4

Also known as 4-Level or 4-Stories Method

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Example: Multi-level Design

LEVEL LEVEL 1 DESCRIPTION EXAMPLE A single object which A Z-Ray emitting machine which kills cancer cells produces a certain purpose (function) Multiple objects which only A network of nano- Z-ray viruses which together kill together produce result cancer cells (function); Inventing conditions under The cancer cells stop themseleves from growing which the same results (functions) as at Levels 1 and 2 are produced, but without an object Inventing conditions under Human genome is modified in such a way that a body which the need for results never produces cancer cells (functions) disappears.

LEVEL 2

LEVEL 3

LEVEL 4

Also known as 4-Level or 4-Stories Method

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PRINCIPLES OF CREATIVE DESIGN

29 Principles of Creative Design

1. Decreasing Increasing 2. Segmentation Integration 3. Acceleration Deceleration 4. Taking out Bringing in 5. Universality Constraining 6. Continuity Discontinuity 7. Dynamic Static 8. High Speed Low Speed 9. Artificial Natural (Alive) 10. Form Unfolding Form Folding 11.Change of unchangeable 12.Control of uncontrollable 13.Inversion 14.Nesting 15.Copying 16.Time Shift 17.Ideality 18.Five Senses 19.Mediator

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CASE: Vase

www.imageimports.com

www.timetime.de

www.concona.de

Segmentation

Integration

Nesting

www.illicodesign.com

www.atylia.com

Bringing in
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Integration
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Bringing in

www.scottishpotters.co.uk

Asymmetry

Alive

Inventive Story Telling

1

Present a situation
2

Introduce a contradiction
3

Intensify the contradiction Present a novel way to eliminate the contradiction Forecast consequences by the Multi-Screen Diagram

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Conclusion
Training our creative imagination helps to improve results obtained with TRIZ techniques. CID techniques can be used to generate ideas to real problems and demands. Successful application of TRIZ is a combination of logic AND creativity. Individual creative imagination can and should be developed!

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TRIZ at Twente University

Summer course TRIZ Fundamentals: 80 hours; 2 weeks in a row: theory + practice (3 EC). In July each year. Can be complemented with 52 hours industrial practice later throughout next semester. For B.Sc and M.Sc European Students.

More info: http://www.xtriz.com/summercoursevideo.htm

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SUMMARY AND DISCUSSIONS

Contact
Valeri Souchkov ICG Training & Consulting Willem-Alexanderstraat 6 7511KH Enschede The Netherlands Phone: +31-53-4342884 Fax: +31-53-2011174 E-mail: valeri@xtriz.com Web: www.xtriz.com

x TRIZ

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THANK THANK THANK YOU! YOU! YOU!

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