Ideabox; Class notes
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The document discusses morphological analysis and its use in idea generation. Morphological analysis involves breaking a problem down into its key parameters or dimensions and generating new ideas by exploring combinations of variations within each parameter. It was developed by Fritz Zwicky and involves listing attributes of a product or system and then generating variations for each attribute. This allows for a systematic exploration of all possible solution combinations. The document provides examples of how Leonardo Da Vinci used a similar approach in his sketches of faces with variations of individual facial features. It suggests using morphological analysis to develop new lamp designs by listing lamp properties as parameters and brainstorming variations for each.
Ideabox; Class notes
- 1. 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.
- 2. 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.
- 3. Morphological analysis "... 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 is simply an ordered way of looking at things." (Fritz Zwicky: "Morphological Astronomy", The Observatory. Vol. 68, No. 845, Aug. 1948.)
- 4. IDEA BOX A simple way to generate ideas
- 5. IDEA BOX • We use Leonardo Da Vinci by way of example. – 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. • This method could be used for any item. • Random, or not so random features can be listed to help establish new combinations, to generate new ideas.
- 6. Leonardo DaVinci’s Idea Box He would list facial characteristics (heads, eyes, nose, etc.) and then beneath each list variations.
- 9. The Banana Umbrella: Choice Choose as many parameters as you want, and then come up with as many variations for each parameter as you can think of. 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.
- 10. 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.
- 11. Thinking within the box Can get a little rubbery.
- 12. Scale /Height Material Shape/Base Globe Switch Power Tiny Wood Round Fluro On lead Electricity BIG Metal Square Halogen On base Solar Small Plastic Clamps LED On wall Gas Held Fabric No base Candle Dial Pedal Skin/Natural /Leather Goat Flame Dimmer Pump Rubber Feather Daylight No switch Human Glass Car Fireflies (for Esther) Paint (glow in the dark) Deconstructing the aspects – thinking about the parts/organising