(The third in a series of three articles describing ASIT and
its uses)
Dr. Roni Horowitz
start2think.com
10 Dov Friedman Street, Ramat Gan
Israel
Email:
Roni.Horowitz@start2think.com
Web site:
www.start2think.com
1. Form before function
The two previous articles in this ASIT series focused on problem solving.
This article shows how ASIT can be used to develop new products.
Unlike conventional methods for new product development that begin the
development process with the customer and his or her needs, ASIT begins with the
existing product.
According to ASIT the product is first (conceptually) modified along the
lines of one of ASIT’s five thinking tools, without any specific goal in mind.
In the second stage the new (virtual) product is matched with a possible market.
The market is identified (or invented) by answering the question, “Who may
benefit from our modified product and under what circumstances?” The market
is invented instead of the product.
The advantage of this approach over the conventional approach is that we can
get ahead of our competition and come up with exciting new products which
satisfy needs that may have been overlooked because our customer could not
communicate these needs.
Developing ideas by creating a form before determining its function is
described by Finke [1] as ‘function follows form’ thinking. In a series of
brilliant experiments Finke showed that individuals become more creative when
they are constrained to determine the form before its function.
Using ASIT, the developer of new products is constrained not only to
‘function follows form’ thinking, but also to Closed World thinking.
A Closed World is defined as the collection of the types of objects from
which the product is made and the types of objects that reside in its immediate
environment. ASIT’s Closed World principle constrains the developer to develop
new products that share the same ‘world’ with the original product.
The Closed World condition restricts the developer to come up with variations
on existing products rather than replacing them or adding new formerly
non-existent elements. This way, the new ideas generated by ASIT do not require
any R&D effort.
2. The ASIT process for New Product Development (NPD)
ASIT suggests the following process:
1. Determine the 'world' in which the product is situated.
2. Determine the new form: select an ASIT tool and apply it to modify
the product.
3. Determine the new function: try to conceive new functions, new
values or new benefits for the modified product.
ASIT is a world-form-function thinking.
Here is a short description of the five ASIT tools as they apply to new
product development:
Unification
Scan the product’s world to find other products whose functioning can
be fully or partially integrated into the existing product.
Multiplication
Multiply a component of the product.
Division
Divide the products into its basic parts then reorganize the parts in space
or time.
Breaking Symmetry
Turn a symmetrical part of the product into something asymmetrical.
Object Removal
Remove a component from the product.
3. Application case studies
Note: Some of the case studies describe real commercial products, and some of
them were invented for the sake of presentation. The case studies are
categorized according to the ASIT tool involved.
Unification
Example 1: New idea for candles
Product - candle; world - birthday cake; Unification.
The candle will be integrated into the birthday cake.
New function or value: the candle will be edible, there will be no need to
remove it from the cake, and eating the candles will be a lot of fun for the
kids.
Example 2: New idea for cellular phones
Product - cellular phone; world - home; Unification.
The cellular phone will be unified with a regular wireless home phone.
New function or value: no need for two different products (or alternatively,
an additional wireless phone at home for free).
Multiplication
Example 4: New idea for a pickle container
Product - pickle container; world - refrigerator; Multiplication.
There will be two containers.
New function or value: the two containers will be connected to each other one
on top of the other with a filter in between. In the refrigerator, the pickles
will be in the bottom container inside the salt water. When served, the
container is turned upside down. The salt water flows through the filter to the
container that is now at the bottom, and the pickles are served without the
water.
Division
Example 5: New idea for a wall clock
Product - wall clock; world-home; Division.
The numbers will be separated from the clock.
New function or value: it will be possible to attach the numbers directly to
the wall and create a giant clock.
Breaking Symmetry
Example 6: New idea for a car
Product - car; world - regular use on the road; Breaking Symmetry.
The volume of the engine will vary as a function of the required power (this
is breaking symmetry in time).
New function or value: a more economical system. Technically varying the
volume can be achieved by varying the number of active cylinders.
Example 7: New idea for jigsaw puzzles
Product - jigsaw puzzles; world - normal use at home; Breaking Symmetry.
The size of the pieces will vary from one side of the puzzle to the other.
New function or value: two kids of different ages can build the same puzzle
together - the younger kid starts with the big pieces and the older one starts
with the small pieces. They meet somewhere at the middle.
Object Removal
Example 9: New idea for televisions
Product- television; world - normal use at home; Object Removal.
The TV screen will be removed from the system.
New function or value: a cheap television set for the blind. If other worlds
are now considered, the idea of a TV without a screen can also be used in cars.
The driver cannot watch the screen, but may be interested in listening to the
news or to a favorite talk show.
4. Conclusion
This paper has presented the ASIT process for the development of new
products.
The ASIT process consists of three steps: determining the world, the form,
and the function, value or benefit.
ASIT generates highly original ideas and products that are relatively easy to
manufacture. Also, time to market is short. A disadvantage may be that only
those needs that reside within the range of existing products can be discovered.
In some cases the outcome of the ASIT process is not limited to a new
product. A whole new concept can emerge. Consider again the Breaking Symmetry
idea for the jigsaw puzzle. The concept of “one game for two kids of different
ages” emerged. It is now possible to use this concept as a template to create
many new interesting ideas. For example, to create a seesaw in the park where
the distance between the seats to the center is different on each side (thus
creating a change in the balance). Kids of different ages (and therefore
weights) can play together.
References
- A. Fink, T. B. Ward, S. M. Smith (eds.), "Creative Cognition Approach",
MIT Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1995.
- Horowitz R., Maimon O., "Creative Design Methodology and the Sit Method",
Proceedings of DETC '97: 1997 ASME Design Engineering Technical Conference,
Sacramento, 1997.
- S. Altshuller, "Creativity as an Exact Science", New York, Gordon and
Breach, 1985.
About the Author:
Dr. Roni Horowitz has been working on ASIT development in the past 12 years.
Roni got his Ph.D. form the Engineering Faculty of Tel Aviv University in the
field of creative problem solving and design; B.Sc. in Aeronautical Engineering
(the Technion, Haifa), and M.Sc. in Industrial Engineering (Tel-Aviv
University). Roni has extensive experience in conducting inventive thinking
workshops and full credited academic courses in Israel and worldwide.
