Tracing unorthodox use - A TRIZ-related ideation method in systematic product innovation

Lots of companies deliver products and services that serve the customer a determined purpose or function – but they often go wrong about how the product is finally used. Such diversions sow the seeds of creativity to generate ideas for new product outcomes and problem solutions. However, this potential is only scarcely exploited so far. Based on a survey on consumers’ and developers’ opinions on unorthodox use, a new method is introduced to transfer product functions to unexpected application fields, which helps galvanizing the ideation process. It shows many similarities to the systematic way of thinking, to the contradiction logic and to selected knowledge- and analogy-based mental block breaking tools in TRIZ.