When solving complex problems, trying out different ‘prototypes’ is an unavoidable part of achieving the optimum solution.
All in Problem Solving
Hot tin hat
Sometimes in fixing one problem we end up creating another.
When the maintenance men finally saw the light.
The solution to a problem is not always as obvious as it first appears to be.
Hiding in plain sight
The importance of being observant when others aren’t.
The photos that fooled Sherlock’s creator
The famous Cottingley images demonstrate how easily even an expert is mislead.
The cane toads conquering Australia
In solving one problem it’s often easy to create a new and unintended one as a consequence. Just ask the ‘Bureau of Sugar Experiment Stations’ in Australia.
The difference between ‘convergent’ and ‘divergent’ research
Which is the best approach? Looking under a ‘microscope’ or gazing through a ‘telescope’?
How to consult your own virtual boardroom
Don’t have a boardroom filled with brilliant and experienced thinkers? Then create your own.
Suboptimal: How the US Navy wasted millions of dollars designing a useless joystick
Sometimes we’re better off looking for existing solutions to our problems rather than trying to reinvent the wheel. Or the joystick for that matter.
The 'flop' that changed the world
The story of a young athlete’s unorthodox approach to the high jump which revolutionised the sport.
Has somebody else already solved your problem?
The most useful inspiration for innovation often comes from looking at people who are on the fringes of your problem. The weirdos. People who don’t play by the rules.
