KREATURK * 2005 CREATIVITY INSTITUTE, Istanbul
SYSTEMATIC INVENTIVE THINKING:
THINKING TOOLS FOR SUCCESSFUL INNOVATION
SANDRA MINNEE
27-28 May 2005
Istanbul, Hotel Princess
Creativity and Innovation
Many companies use several creativity techniques to assist them in innovation and new
product development. Brainstorming is the most well known. In these kind of sessions, one
uses several techiques, such as the Six Thinking Hats form Edward de Bono.
The effectivity of such sessions is not always clear to everyone. Usually lots of ideas are
generated, but the applicability of many of them is questionable. Because many creativtiy
techniques work according to the principle of free association, the ideas usually get to go
quite far from the work field of the company. Brainstormsessions are fun to do and have a
very strong effect on team building. But one has to make sure they are usuful and that ideas
are tested for the quality of being a true solution to the problem at heart. Finally, the solutions
should be put into a concrete action plan, so as to ensure effectivity.
Systematic Inventive Thinking (SIT)
Jacob Goldenberg at the University of Tel Aviv in Israel debates that creativity flourishes
better under constraints than in total freedom (Goldenberg & Mazursky, 2002). In the 1920’s
the russion scientist Genrich Altshuller examined thousands of successful innovations in order
to find out that there were about fifty universal (thinking) principles that had led to them. He
brought them together in the creativity technique TRIZ. Goldenberg refined this approach
further and developed a creativity techniqe which uses a systematic approach and about 5
highly effective thinking tools: systematic inventive thinking (SIT).
In SIT there are several important principles:
1. Stay in the closed world of the product or service.
Innovations should be sought within the manipulation of the components of the product
(internal world) and its close surroundings (external world).
2. Systematically apply several thinking tools in order to find ‘virtual products or
services’. Goldenberg identified 5 so called ‘creativity templates’:
a. Reduction
b. Replacement
c. Division
d. Multiplication
e. Attribute relationships
3. By applying the thinking tools, virtual new products are being found. These virtual
products go through 2 filters:
a. Market filter: is there a need for this virual product, who would be the target
group; if the answer is yes, then the second filter is applied:
b. Technology filter: is the virtual product technologically feasible?
If the answer is yes again, some necessary adaptations and changes are made and
only then the virtual product is called an idea.
4. The best ideas are being put into action and regular market research is being applied in
order to establish the viability, price, market volume, etc.
5. The most viable ideas are implemented.
This principle of development is called Function Follows Form. Contrary to most new
product development procedures, the starting point for finding new ideas is not the consumer,
his needs or wishes, but an existing product or service.
Existing products have a lot of creativity in them already and they have proven their existence
in the market place. Also, consumers are often not aware of needs for non existing products.
When they are aware of their needs, your competitor can also find out!
Qualitative Change
Within Systematic Inventive Thinking, an innovation is thought to be successful if
1. it is found within the closed world of the product or service, i.e. no totally new
components have been added to come to the new product
2. the change from the existing product is substantial, not incremental. Smaller sizes
would not be considerd a true innovation in SIT terms, even though it can be a highly
succesful innovation!
Systematic Inventive Thinking is independent of domains and can also be applied to problem
solving. It is a method which is easy to do, because we do it naturally. Research and
development people usually like the systematic and down to earth approach and are easily
committed to participate in a creativity session with SIT!
References:
Creativity in Product Innovation, J. Goldenberg & D, Mazursky, 2002
SIT International, Israel: www.sitsite.com