Has somebody else already solved your problem?
Sometimes the best solutions don’t come from your category at all. In fact, 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.
NASA was stumped. What should a man wear for a walk on the moon?
The high altitude pressure suits worn by aircraft pilots didn’t quite cut it. What they needed was something fully enclosed that allowed maximum mobility.
It was 1962, but they needed fabric from the future…or did they?
The solution came from the year 1520. The tournament suit of armour that Henry VIII wore to the Field of the Cloth of Gold was designed for foot combat and featured steel plates fitting flawlessly over one another, leaving not a single gap. The only problem was that it weighed 42 kilograms.
Turns out that‘s not such a problem on the moon.
For more stories on extreme users and how they can help you find some new, unique and impactful solutions to your problems check out our Disruptive Innovation course.
