“What if we make it all the same?”

Homogeneity: Making things the same to improve how they interact.

Temporary pots for seedlings can be made from compostable material that resembles the soil the seedling is planted into.

In carpentry, the best joints are made by linking the wood together with minimum use of fasteners made from metal. The material joined will expand and contract in the heat and humidity at the same rate, extending the integrity of the joint.

The GM division Saturn famously covered its cars with plastic panels, but these were criticized for poor fit, largely thanks to a different expansion ratio between the plastic and the cars’  metal space frame. As a result, later Saturn products were all steel until the division itself was discontinued.

Some iced coffee enthusiasts will freeze coffee in ice cube trays as they only cool, not dilute, the coffee they are added to.

Homogeneity in packaging and construction can make recycling much easier.

More examples

As I stumble across real world examples of this Inventive Principle in action I add them here.

Your turn

What problems do you face that this inventive principle could help solve? Have you used this principle before?