Innovation is often thought of as unpredictable and random, but what if there was a structure to create innovation? That’s exactly what Genrich Altshuller, a Russian engineer and patent examiner, began to realize while working in a patent office in the 1940s.
By analyzing thousands of patents, he discovered that innovations were not entirely unique, but rather were based on recurring principles. For example, he saw that the same principle—heating a material and then rapidly cooling it to create cracks—had been patented in several different industries, from metalworking to glass production.
So he began to categorize patents based on the type of innovation they represented, rather than the function they performed. And what he found was striking:
- Brand-new innovation principles are extremely rare—perhaps once every 100 years, but they are repatented several times in different industries.
- Most innovations are based on a limited number of recurring patterns.
- By understanding these patterns, it would be possible to systematically create innovation instead of waiting for random breakthroughs.
This insight laid the foundation for TRIZ (Teoriya Resheniya Izobretatelskikh Zadach) – a method for solving problems and creating innovation by using existing innovation principles in new ways.
How does TRIZ work?
The ambition of TRIZ is to transform innovation from something chaotic and inspiration-driven into a step-by-step process. The method is based on four central elements:
- Identify the problem – What is it that we are trying to solve?
- Generalize the problem – What is the underlying principle behind the problem?
- Look up a solution – What known innovation principles can be used to solve this type of problem?
- Adapt the solution to the specific case – How can we apply the principle to our unique situation?
There is a matrix of innovation principles that allows you to look up possible solutions based on the type of problem you are facing. TRIZ thus provides direct guidance on how to think, based on historical innovations.
An example of TRIZ in practice
Suppose you are trying to solve the problem of how to clean dirty surfaces more effectively. Instead of just trying to “think up something new”, you can:
- Identify the specific problem: Cleaning takes time and is ineffective when dirt is stuck firmly.
- Generalize the problem: We want to find a way to separate dirt from a surface faster.
- Look up a solution in the TRIZ matrix: A possible innovation principle is to create vibrations to loosen the dirt (used, for example, in ultrasonic cleaners).
- Adapt the solution to the specific case: We can develop a new type of cleaning product that uses sound waves to vibrate dirt off the surface.
By using TRIZ, we go from a specific problem, via a general principle, to an applicable solution.
TRIZ and its limitations
TRIZ was invented several decades ago and is particularly effective in product development and technical innovation. However, it can be more difficult to apply TRIZ to, for example, organizational development or business strategies, since the principles were originally developed for physical and technical systems.
However, there are ways to adapt the method. In some contexts, question batteries based on TRIZ principles are used, where by answering questions you get help to transfer the principles to a new area.
On effectivemind.com there are examples of such question batteries for those who want to try using TRIZ principles on their own problems.
TRIZ as a tool for systematic innovation
TRIZ is based on the insight that innovation does not have to be a mystery. By understanding the fundamental patterns on which innovations are based, we can:
- Work more systematically with problem solving
- Borrow innovations from other areas and apply them to new contexts
- Avoid reinventing the wheel and instead build on proven principles
Whether you work with product development, business innovation or organizational change, TRIZ can be a great tool for finding new solutions – based on previous knowledge.
