If you are blocked at one level, look for other ways. They exist, and sometimes offer an even better solution. While trying to invent a new type of air-conditioner, we find ourselves blocked to use the ‘heat exchange effect’ for some reason (patent restriction, cost etc). Does that mean that I cannot proceed with …
Any situation which can be expressed in a ‘If—, then —–, but—–‘ format, can be solved. It is more of a design contradiction than a problem If I do something, then some good can occur, but some bad occurs too. Some typical examples are given below. 1. While designing a car, I have the technical capability to increase …
For a company to innovate, it must get to know what the customer wants. But haven’t we opened up a can of worms by using the term ‘what the customer wants’, so loosely? Which stage of product development do we have in mind while we use this term? It seems that while we are …
Trends have now become a prime tool for innovation through exploiting chaos. Here are two extremely powerful tools that anyone can use to make business sense from trends – Trend-bulletins and trenDNA cards. Both these tools are based on the trend-watching activity. Trendwatch is a systematic activity by trained spotter to scan the globe …
In how many ways can you improve a nut-cracker? Of course, you can change its shape, make it more efficient, make it multi-functional and more. But how about tinkering with it using the FBS approach? That’s the way to create a new nut cracker which no one else can. FBS is the Function, behaviour, …
A high-ranking student in a military academy was assigned the thesis: “The influence of the evolution of military strategies on artillery development.” Six months later he asked for permission to change the thesis to: “The influence of artillery development on the evolution of military strategies.” His research had shown that the evolution of artillery had influenced military strategies, rather …
Who is the president of USA? Easy, isn’t it. Next question. How can we get a tyre that works well on good roads ( smooth performance ) as well as on rough roads ( good grip)? That’s difficult, isn’t it. More importantly, answering this question does not require the same skill as answering ‘Who is …
In the last post we saw the difference between two approaches to R&D – ‘What is possible’ ( Science) versus ‘What is needed’ ( technology). Let us move to the marriage terms between S&M and R&D. There are two types of errors in new technology business. In the type 1 error, the business strategy assumes incorrectly …
Most of us use the terms research and design, or science and technology, as synonyms. It would be useful to see the connections and also divergence between these. Science is curiosity driven. The researcher could not be concerned about possible end applications. Kroemer, the Noble prize winner for developing semi-conductor hetrostructures in high speed …