2. How to look more creatively to a single
problem and find systematically more
solutions
Ron Broens
ron.broens@booi-innovations.com
www.booi-innovations.com
fi.linkedin.com/in/broens
twitter.com/RonBroens
+358 (0)50 501 63 29

3. About BOOI Innovations
• BOOI' mission is to: “Support our
clients to become the most innovative
player in their industry.”
• Get more info on our services through our:
• Web page
• LinkedIn page
• Facebook page

4. About creativity
• [Creativity is the] ability to produce
something new through imaginative skill,
whether a new solution to a problem, a new
method or device, or a new artistic object or
form. The term generally refers to a richness
of ideas and originality of thinking.
Adapted from: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/creativity

5. “Discovery consists of looking at
the same thing as everyone else
and thinking something different”
Albert Szent-Gyorgyi 1893-1996
Nobel prize winner
Physician

6. “Nothing is more dangerous than
an idea when it is the only one we
have”
Emile Chartier, 1868-1951
French Philosopher

7. “The way to get good ideas
is to get lots of ideas, and
throw the bad ones away”
Linus Pauling 1901-1994
Two time Nobel prize winner
Theoretical chemist and biologist

8. “If at first, the idea is not absurd,
then there is no hope for it”
Albert Einstein 1879-1955
Nobel prize winner
Physicist

9. Matchstick problem
• The following slides will
show 20 solutions to this
matchstick problem
• The only rule: Make a
correct statement by
manipulating 1 match!
• This is an exercise from
BOOI's
Creativity & Innovation
Awareness seminar

10. STOP: First try yourself!
• It is always easier to take a quick peek on what
others already have done
• Remember that innovation is a continuous
process, not a one-time goal or a single
destination
• The more you do it the better you get at it
• Do not worry about failing; if you fail that
means you are learning (FAIL is actually the
acronym for: First Attempt In Learning)

11. More creative approaches
Solution 1: The negative number solution

12. More creative approaches
Solution 2: The Roman number solution

13. More creative approaches
Solution 3: The break-a-match solution (match needs to be broken!)

14. More creative approaches
Solution 4: The second Roman number solution (match needs to be broken!)

15. More creative approaches
Solution 5: The unequal solution

16. More creative approaches
Solution 6: The 'bigger then' solution

17. More creative approaches
Solution 7: The positive or same-symbol-has-different-meaning solution
AND
or
PLUS
POSITIVE
or
BIGGER THAN ZERO

18. More creative approaches
Solution 8: The vector solution (match needs to be broken in 4 pieces!);
Imagination required for the commas.
,
X YX Y X Y X 1
Y
1
-1
-1
1
1
1
2- =
0
-1
1
1
2
1- -1
0= Is also possible!
, ,
( )
( )
( ) ( )
( )( )

19. More creative approaches
Solution 9: Decimal solution (match needs to be broken in 3 pieces!)
11 - 11,1 = - 0,1

20. More creative approaches
Solution 10: The alphabet solution (match needs to be broken in 2 pieces!)
14 - 13 = 1
n = 14th
letter of the alphabet
m =13th
letter of the alphabet

21. More creative approaches
Solution 11: The binary / decimal solution (match needs to be broken 3 pieces!)
0 0 = 0
0 1 = 1
1 0 = 2
1 1 = 3
3 + 3 = 6

22. More creative approaches
Solution 12: The binary / alphabet solution (match needs to be broken 2 pieces!)
0 0 = 0
0 1 = 1
1 0 = 2
1 1 = 3
3 + 3 = F
F is 6th
letter of the alphabet

23. More creative approaches
Solution 13: Correct for a binary based solution
This statement is false for Roman numericals and for the decimal, hexadecimal and octal
systems. However, for the binary system this 'unequal' statement is true!
3 ≠ 7 - 1
0 0 0 = 0
0 0 1 = 1
0 1 0 = 2
0 1 1 = 3
1 0 0 = 4
1 0 1 = 5
1 1 0 = 6
1 1 1 = 7

24. More creative approaches
Solution 14: The superpose solution:
Note that the match heads up means the opposite of match heads down!
Examples of this calculation method:
0
or
nothing

25. More creative approaches
Solution 15: The second superpose solution:
Note that the match heads up means the opposite of match heads down!
Examples of this calculation method:
0
or
nothing
0
or
nothing

26. More creative approaches
Solution 16: Another alphabet solution (match needs to be broken 3 pieces!)
2 + 2 = d
d= 4th
letter of the alphabet

27. More creative approaches
Solution 17: A multiplication solution (match needs to be broken 4 pieces!)
Match head becomes multiplication point!
2 + 1 x 1 = 3

28. More creative approaches
Solution 18: An other multiplication solution (match needs to be broken 4 pieces!)
Match head becomes multiplication point!
1 + 1 x 2 = 3

29. More creative approaches
Solution 19: A division solution (match needs to be broken 3 pieces!)
2 / 3 ≠ 1

30. More creative approaches
Solution 20: A division solution (match needs to be broken 3 pieces!)
2 / 3 = Positive

31. Additional info
• During our Creativity & Innovation Awareness seminar
most people can create 3 to 5 solutions. This because they
are stuck in their own pattern thinking and adhere to
assumptions and rules they impose upon themselves
without any reason
• Creativity is all about eliminating your self-imposed
restrictions. But it is also about realizing knowledge gaps
you have as “you do not know what you do not know!”
• There are even more solutions!

32. Additional info
• If you really have been paying attention to the
provided solutions you probably have recognized that
there is a systematic structure behind the created
solutions.
• Have you been able to recognize it?
• Generating new, more & better business ideas requires
the same systematic approach!

33. If you would like to develop your
organization's innovation capabilities
or value propositions then feel free to
contact us.
Ron Broens
ron.broens@booi-innovations.com
www.booi-innovations.com
fi.linkedin.com/in/broens
twitter.com/RonBroens
+358 (0)50 501 63 29