This document introduces Systematic Inventive Thinking (SIT), a method for structured innovation. It discusses limitations of traditional brainstorming and how SIT addresses issues like cognitive fixedness. SIT tools like division, functional fixedness, and contradiction are presented to help break mental blocks. Examples demonstrate how applying these principles to existing components in a "closed world" can generate new ideas and functions. The goal is to teach that creativity can be learned and applied systematically to produce breakthrough results.

1. Thinking “Inside The Box”
‫חשיבה‬"‫הקופסא‬ ‫בתוך‬"
Presented: Alon Harris, Systematic Inventive Thinking

2. My Goals Today
Introduce You To
A New “Mind-Set”
for Innovation
Introduce You To A
New “Tool-Set”
for Innovation

3. Please Stand Up

4. Brainstorming / ‫מוחות‬ ‫סיעור‬
Can we rely on
Brainstorming alone to
generate INNOVATIVE ideas
WHEN we need them ?

5. Many Limitations of Brainstorming
Consensus Seeking
Competition
Undermining
Fear of Theft
Fear of Risk
Productivity Loss
Free Riding
Distraction
Lack of Direction
Fear of Assessment

6. Cognitive Fixedness / ‫מחשבתי‬ ‫קבעון‬
Cognitive Fixedness is a state of mind in which an object or situation are perceived
in one specific way, to the exclusion of any alternative.
This phenomenon is extremely common and efficient, as it allows one to perceive,
recognize and interact with familiar objects and situations based on past experience.
But its price is a limitation of our ability to break free from our routine habits and to
arrive at innovative solutions.

7. Breaking Fixedness / ‫שבירת‬‫קבעונות‬

8. From The Soviet Union To Israel
“The Theory of Inventive Problem Solving"
Genrich Altshuller
Russian marine engineer Genrich
Altshuller (1926-98) compiled common
principles for hundreds of thousands of
patents and inventions into a method of
approaching problems in technology and
engineering.

9. The Israeli Researchers
Dr. Roni HorowitzProf. Jacob (Yanco) Goldenberg

10. The Israeli Entrepreneurs
Haim PeresAmnon Levav

11. Tel Aviv

12. • SIT is a privately owned innovation
company, established in 1996,
headquartered in Tel Aviv with offices and
affiliates on five continents.
• 60 innovation experts - including
facilitators, consultants, moderators, and
project managers – worldwide.
• Diverse professional backgrounds,
including marketing, advertising,
engineering, ergonomics, psychology,
education, alternative energy, computer
programming, medicine, IT, and
organizational development.
• Sharing a passion for innovation, and
helping organizations and the people who
work for them become more creative.
SIT Ltd / ‫חשיבה‬‫המצאתית‬‫שיטתית‬

13. Our Friends In Israel

14. Our Friends Around The World

15. So, How Does It Work ?

16. Structural Fixedness / ‫מבני‬ ‫קבעון‬
Structural Fixedness is the tendency to think of an
object as a whole, with a defined structure that
cannot be divided or rearranged

17. “Structural Fixedness” / ‫מבני‬ ‫קבעון‬

18. “Structural Fixedness” / ‫מבני‬ ‫קבעון‬

19. Division / ‫חלוקה‬
Dividing a product or process into its
components and randomly rearranging them
in time or space

20. Following SIT’s work Bank Hapoalim came out with a
new offer : a three-month “leave” from mortgage
payments upon the birth of a baby in the family.
This new concept turned out to be one of the bank’s
flagship products and campaign leader and attracted
young couples.
“Division”
The Maternity Leave Mortgage

21. "“Division
The Delayed Antibiotics Prescription

22. AntibioticsSymptom Relief
+24h
"“Division
The Delayed Antibiotics Prescription
27% reduction in antibiotic purchasing for
influenza visits

23. Let’s Practice!

24. Applying Division
1. List the process stages and number each stage
2. Randomly rearrange the stages
3. Visualize the resulting “virtual process”
4. Identify potential benefits inherent in the new structure (“Should We?”)
5. Apply the implementation filter (“Can We?”)
6. Adapt the resulting forms to fit identified values and needs

25. How To Articulate An Idea
Description
Benefits
Challenges

26. Let’s Learn Another Tool !

27. Karl Duncker’s Experiment - 1926

30. Karl Duncker’s Candle Experiment

31. It’s your time to vote..
How did the two groups of
students perform in Karl
Duncker’s experiment?
1. More students in group number 1
found the right solution
2. More students in group number 2
found the right solution
3. The same
4. Don’t know
Group Number 1
Group Number 2

32. Functional Fixedness / ‫תפקודי‬ ‫קבעון‬
The tendency to create a strong association between
an element (physical or other) and its designated
function, resulting in an inability to consider
additional functions for that element.

33. Assigning a new function to an existing
component in our Closed World
“Task Unification”/ ‫איחוד‬

34. The Copenhagen Wheel

35. Beijing pollution monitored with
kite-mounted sensors empower city
dwellers to map, record and engage
actively in the monitoring of their
environment

36. The Play Pump

37. Advertising

38. ReCAPTCHA gives users two
words to type:
(1) One of which is used to
detect if you’re a human
(2) And the other it can’t
read/understand by itself
and needs your help. That’s
the one word you type and
recaptcha digitizes it and you
unknowingly help humanity.

39. Cailler Visitor Center

41. Chocolate Personality

42. Let’s Practice !

43. Make A List Of Closed World Components
The Closed World

44. Make A List Of Closed World Components
How can component X help
me reach my goal ?

45. Summary

46. InventiveSystematic
A Contradiction ?
Vs.

47. Systematic Inventive Thinking

48. Key Take Aways From Today
Thinking outside the box is a myth
We advocate a radically different approach
Creativity can be taught, and trained
SIT is scientifically proven
Successfully used in leading firms and organizations

49. Individual
Team
Organization
You Don’t Do Innovation,
You Innovate In What You Do
Community
Local Government
Country

50. “Inside The Box”
A Proven System of Creativity for Breakthrough Results
Drew Boyd
AKA the Street Rat
Jacob
Goldenberg
AKA the Lab Rat

51. Thinking “Inside The Box”
The traditional view of creativity is that it is unstructured and doesn’t
follow rules or patterns. That you need to think “outside the box” to be
truly original and innovative…
We believe just the opposite.

52. Thank You !
alonh@sitsite.com