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Product prototyping
Published in Fuewen Frank Liou, Rapid Prototyping and Engineering Applications, 2019
To learn from these excellent prototypes around us, synectics is a good approach. Synectics is a method of problem-solving, usually performed by groups, which seeks to illuminate and utilize the factors involved in creative thinking. Creative thinking is impaired in two potential ways: (1) the problem is beyond one’s everyday experience that one cannot imagine how it could be solved; and (2) the situation is so familiar that one cannot think of a better way to resolve the problem. Synectics aims to promote creative thinking using two principal techniques: making the strange familiar and making the familiar strange. Making the strange familiarThe mind tends to analyze a new situation by forcing the problem to fit existing preconceptions. This is also a reflection of the fact that human thought tends to be conservative. In this approach, the strangeness is compared with data previously known to eliminate as much of the strangeness as possible, and this requires a paradigm shift.Making the familiar strangeThis process is very tough to perform because strangeness and uncertainty are uncomfortable. To overcome these challenges, synectics makes use of analogies, which include personal analogy, direct analogy, symbolic analogy, and fantasy analogy.
Risk and opportunity identification
Published in Martin Loosemore, John Raftery, Charles Reilly, David Higgon, Risk Management in Projects, 2012
Martin Loosemore, John Raftery, Charlie Reilly, Dave Higgon
Synectics relies upon the use of analogy and metaphor to generate new ideas. Through metaphors, decision-makers are able to reconstruct what they already know in new ways and to connect seemingly unrelated ideas, objects and processes. For example, the Canon mini-photocopier contains a unique throw-away print drum which was modelled on a beer can. Before this idea, the print drum accounted for 90 per cent of maintenance problems and the breakthrough came when the task-force leader ordered some beer at a late-night meeting, stimulating one of the team to question whether the same process for making an aluminium can could be used to make a copier drum (Nonaka 1991). To prompt this process, try to draw analogies between your current problem and similar problems in other contexts. The trick is to let your imagination run wild and think outside the square.
Personal Creativity for Entrepreneurs
Published in Frank Voehl, H. James Harrington, Rick Fernandez, Brett Trusko, The Framework for Innovation, 2018
Frank Voehl, H. James Harrington, Rick Fernandez, Brett Trusko
Synectics is regarded by the authors as the #4 creativity and problem-solving technique because it combines a structured approach to creativity with the freewheeling problem-solving approach used in techniques like brainstorming. It’s a useful technique when simpler creativity techniques like SCAMPER, brainstorming, and random input have failed previously. Synectics uses many different ways to trigger the ideas that are being generated. It stimulates people to move away from established ways of thinking and helps to steer them into more creative ways of thinking.
A solution in search of problems: a cognitive tool for solution mapping to promote divergent thinking
Published in Journal of Engineering Design, 2021
Jin Woo Lee, Shanna R. Daly, Aileen Huang-Saad, Gabriella Rodriguez, Quinton DeVries, Colleen M. Seifert
Other design tools have been developed through empirical studies of designers’ work processes. Synectics, a problem-solving methodology, was derived from audio and video recording meetings dealing with obstacles and arriving at creative solutions (Gordon 1961). Synectics emphasises problem-solving using analogies to generate solutions, as does design-by-analogy (Linsey 2007; Tomko et al. 2015). Design-by-analogy was developed to guide designers in linguistically representing the design problem that can support divergent thinking by creating novel analogies and analogous domains (Linsey 2007; Linsey et al. 2008; Fu et al. 2015; Linsey et al. 2012). However, design-by-analogy has been developed and tested to promote generating novel solutions for a problem, not for using a solution to generate possible problem applications.