Changing Properties: A Checklist For Innovators
What do I change? What do I gain? This article brings a methodology of breaking down a product or process into its properties and functions. By changing a property, new or improved functionalities can be identified. This method is illustrated on a surfboard case study.
Building the ProductDNAAny product is designed to perform a function, often in an array of components with each a specific (sub)function to the whole. In order to innovate, we divide the product into its components. Taking a component analysis pool of patents on "surfboard" we start collecting the properties and function that best describe the surfboard by scanning the adjectives in front of “surfboard”. Distilling the best elements out of the above our SurfboardDNA becomes:
From the ProductDNA we can now go into two directions. Firstly, what are the products that have similar DNA, what is family? Whilst ProductDNA is a good ground for analogy, it is not subject of this article . The second direction is property variation and evolutionary potential. Which of the properties can we now vary in order to gain new benefits?
Evolutionary PotentialA standard list of properties has been proposed in the AULIVE method. They are acting as measures for product and process state of evolvement. Within PatentInspiration there is an Evolutionary potential analysis. This radar diagram gives (nominal or relative) the amount of times an inventor has gone into the direction of varying that property, given he has a claimable benefit within that change.
A complete picture of an evolutionary potential is given below.
Property VariationGoing over every property can trigger good ideas, three example properties:
- Porosity: by adding pores or cavities one can make the surfboard lighter, the board could contain keys or apare fins, or wax,. Water or air can pass through the cavities (more on that topic later) or little cavities can provide grip on top. Open holes provide heat transfer, closed holes can bring insulation. Trapped air can cushion or bring resilience.
- Transparency: a partially or fully transparent board would allow to inspect the wildlife in the water, as it would act as an aquarium window (both ways). A similar example in a kayak.
- Segmentation: Segmenting your surfboard in two or more parts makes it easier to transport, you could add in more parts to vary the length depending on the conditions, or the experience, having a set of click-on's would provide a bodyboard, kneeboard, surfboard and even standup paddle board. Depending on the waves, different fun boards could be assembled out of the same set. The segments would be easier to repair/replace.