Why do I want to fit Principles into SCAMPER approaches? In a recent post (check it here first) I explore how SCAMPER can embrace the 40 Principles of Inventive Problem Solving. The goal is to wrap the complexity of the Principles in the approachability of SCAMPER. Eliminate defined in Applied Imagination Under the category of…
Your problem has already been solved “Every problem has a solution.” The Cigarette Smoking Man, X-Files Both SCAMPER and the 40 Principles begin with the premise that with sufficient abstraction the problem you face can be described in a way that parallels another problem that has already been solved, making the solution evident. This post attempts…
This is another smack-your-head, why-didn’t-I-think-of-it innovation. It’s a table made up of segments (Principle 1 – Segmentation) that converts to a shelf unit (Principle 15 – Dynamics) easily by turning on a pivot (Principle 12 – Equipotentiality). Check out the video: What can we learn? Like the Youtube video says, there are some bits of…
The problem As I described in an earlier post, some elementary students in Ontario were suspended for incomplete immunization records. This series of posts is an effort to come up with ideas using each of the 40 Principles. Remember the cardinal rule: there are no stupid ideas, only ideas that may serve to inspire the…
The sliding compound-miter saw is an orgy of Principle 15 – Dynamics. It can be adjusted for both vertical and horizontal angle and run along a slide to handle wide boards. Many have extensions to support long boards and adjustable stops for repetitive cuts at a specific length. This is compounded (yes!) by the use…
Never be threatened with unemployment Take some comfort from the man who developed the 40 Inventive Principles: “The world is endless, the universe inexhaustible, and the human brain will never be threatened with unemployment.” Genrich Altshuller That’s why its called luggage It is a common worry among those who seek to invent something new. And…