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Creativity tools-part 2: Method of focal object
- 1. Method of Focal Object Tools for creativity - Structured innovation Suhas Dhakate
- 2. Method of Focal Object Tool for creative thinking which add useful functionality into product This involves synthesizing the seemingly non-matching characteristics of different objects into something new This helps in solving problem through forceful insertion of ideas Professor at the University of Berlin F. Kunze launched in 1926 Later in 1958 American scientist C. Whiting improved and named to 'Focal Objects Method Improve lateral thinking Also called as 'Method of catalog
- 3. Method of Focal Object Selected product to improve Find the probable ideas Evaluate application and market Random Object List the characteristi cs of the selected objects Search field Combine the characte ristics Define new obtained characteristics New solution
- 4. Example • Focal object – Objective of improvement • Randomly selected object - Characteristics of object Increase the functionality of product Improve sell Improve profit Holds liquid Transfer heat from inner to outer Flexible - rubber Form any shape to cover surface Bulge when fill water
- 5. Example… Focal Object + Properties of Random Objects Made of rubber, Flexible to form any shape • Rubber coating on spanner • Flexibility in handle with rubber • Can improve the grip • NA New characteristics obtained New characteristics application Hollow shape, contain hot water, transfer heat Bulge when inner pressure increased • Bulge can change the Dimension of spanner • Hollow shape + remove heat • By cooling the fastener, fastener dimension can be shrined and hence useful in removing stuck fasteners • Dimension of spanner can be change by applying internal pressure, mechanism to be developed Application identificationInvented ideasProbable ideas
- 6. Example… New system-1 New system-3New system-2
- 7. Thanks
Editor's Notes
- Method of focal objects. Method of focal objects is a technique for problem solving or creative thinking which involves synthesizing the non-matching characteristics of different objects into something new. In 1926 Professor F. Kunze from the University of Berlin, launched this mothed as a 'Method of catalog’. The essence of this method is to put the object of interest in to focus. Then the object of interest is compared and contrasted with the other object, which are arbitrarily selected. This method helps in forcing the experienced person to think on the insertion of ideas. Definitely this also need some practice, where principal of imagination can help. Focal object method helps in improving lateral thinking. Since the ideas are coming from the experienced person, there is high probability for acceptance of these ideas. On other hand experienced people are forced to insert the new ideas, where solution can be built, and the contradiction arises due to insertion of new idea can be resolved using there expertise . This method is also called method of catalog . This is because many time CatLog is being used for selecting random object. Use of Catalog reduces the risk of non meaningful object selection as a random object. The combination of the properties of these two object can lead into the original ideas. Lets see the stepwise process for Method of focal object
- The first step in the method of focal object is selection the object of interest, which need to be improve. called as focal point for improvement. This object can be a product or technology, depend where innovation is required to improve the value proposition. Next step is to select the random object. This object can be Catalog or any randomly selected. Now combine them. Point to be noted that, If we select the object and try to fuse with object of interest, then it is just combining the two system. Here we will be losing advantages what we are expected by going through complete exercise. Many people do this mistake, and results are not fruitful enough. Hence it is important to understand the various function of the selected object, and understand what are the characteristics of randomly selected object. Next step is to List down the characteristics of both the selected object. Further Combine the characteristics of the selected object to the focal object, this is supposed to provide the new ideas as a solution. Before we move to final step, it is important to define the new characteristics or function we are getting from new ideas. In final step, developed solution, or idea from the combination of characteristics of objects, has to be evaluate against the new obtained characteristics. This stage is more important, as some time the new characteristics may not make any sense. However important thing is to identify how the new object will serve the purpose for customer. The advantages of this technique are, this technique provide a New view to the product which may not thought of in previous ideation. It also simulates the product developers creative thinking. In this technique, role of random object selection is very important. If it is about the consumer product, it is easy to implement this technique. However, for the technology organization it is more important to see how the things evolve. how technology solution can be look like, and what technical solution can serve different purpose. It has to be noted that, this technique lacks in confined search area for solution, because there is no limitation in search processes. Other ting is there is no connectivity in the internal processes. Most of the process is outward thinking, and hence possibility of learning on internal system and their interaction will reduce. This may affect the core technology area where product is being at strong position. This limitation restricts application of this technique in many of the core technology organization. There is a scope that this method can be combined with some other method, or bring some attributes of technology to improve confined search area, which is more related to technology. Lets see the implementation of this method with example.
- Ok. Lets begin. First step is to select the product which need to be improved. This is a focal object. The focal objected selected is a spanner. This is a normal spanner. The objective of improvement in spanner is to increase the functionality. Beside increase in sell and improve profit will be the tangible benefits which need not to mentioned, unless they are the only objective. Second step is to identify the random object. Random object can be selected from catalog, form news paper, from advertise, from the objects within your vicinity. There is no specific rule, however the value addition can be higher if the random object Is not belong to the similar work environment. This will provide importunity to forceful insertion of ideas, which can bring more open ideas in to the product. Once the random object is selected, list down the characteristics of the object. The random object selected here is hot water bag. Hot bag is made of rubber which can hold the hot water inside. This bag is used for providing the heat to the patient. The typical characteristics is this is flexible enough that the bag can form any shape, which can improve the surface contact of the bag for better heat transfer. The bag also have typical tendency to bulge when water is pored. This is due to internal pressure. It act like balloon. So we have listed down the characteristics of the randomly selected object. Now, seat back and think, how the listed properties can be inserted in the new focal object and what can be achieved with this.
- Here we go. Here, for demonstration, three probable ideas are considered which are derived from the properties of random object. First, component is made of rubber and component is flexible. Second, hollow shape and heat transfer can be done for some purpose. Third, bulge when internal pressure applied. By inserting these new properties of random object, new characteristics can be formed. The first ideas generated is, rubber coating on the spanner. The identified application for this is increase in the grip. Similarly other ideas can be generated by considering the properties of randomly selected object. The interesting part is finding the application of the invented ideas. Experienced people are quite good in understanding the significance of change ,and linking the improvement of properties to the present system. For example, hello shape and remove heat dose not signify anything to the outside person. However, the person who is working in fastening of mechanical joints, will immediately corelate the removing heat with shrinkage. Now this shrinkage can be used in the removal of the fasteners who are tightly fitted and not easy to remove. Please note that , Here I have considered the cooling effect instead of heating effect in the hot bag. This is inversion principle , from one of the principle of imagination. The last application obtained are from bulging. bulging is a common phenomenon when subjected to internal pressure. Here bulging phenomenon is planed to use for changing the shape of the spanner. The advantage is, single spanner is stuffiest to nearby size of the spanner with the single head size. This will increase the utility of the system. As mentioned earlier, there will be challenges during implementation stage, however these challenges can be overcome. Here, most important thing is, we are focusing on obtaining application of the invented characteristics. This is revèrse to the brainstorming, where application are obtained from the brainstorming and later effort are put to obtained the functionality by various mean.
- The final and most important stage is about visualization of the solution, or idea which was developed during the exercise. For the first idea, simple rubber coating is applied. In upcoming exercise, we will further develop this concept using another creativity technique. In second concept, object is made hollow and arrangement for sending cold water need to be made. In third concept, mechanism need to be developed. The basic concept of mechanism based on bulging is shown in the figure. Once we develop the concept, improving the design and reliability is an another challenge, which can be handled by using various engineering techniques. When you start practicing this toll, you may not able to get the desired solution you are looking for, however you should be able to generate the pool of idea and later you can select the ideas for further development. .