1. Introduction to TRIZ

The first lesson of this section is an introduction to the foundations of the classical Theory of Inventive Problem Solving. It gives answers to such main questions: how and when did TRIZ emerge, what are its goals and what problems does it solve, in what areas does it apply?


The system of TRIZ methods, as well as other theories of creativity and creativity, has its own base and functions, and in order to understand it and learn how to apply, it is necessary, first of all, to study in detail the methods and principles for solving inventive problems proposed by this theory. This will be discussed below.

Content

1. Short story
2. Tasks and functions
3. Principles
4. The place of TRIZ among creative theories
5. Application
6. Verification test

A brief history of TRIZ

“We need to learn creativity” - was convinced Heinrich Sautsovich Altshuller. He made this idea fundamental to the system of his scientific priorities. Today, his teaching is of interest not only by the generalization of many years of diverse experience of invention, but also by the practice of the author himself, who, besides a scientist, an engineer, already at the age of 17 received the first patent, and by the age of 25 had them 10.

It was G. Altshuller’s interest in all aspects of invention, rather than the details of specific developments, that led to the search for an algorithm that would give practical guidance on how to make the invention easier. The author of the future theory, together with his friend Rafail Shapiro, in 1946 decided that there should be a certain method of invention and tried to find it. But an analysis of the scientific literature of that time showed that psychology was mainly interested in the problems of creativity, and most of the works had a trial and error method. Having studied the method itself, friends were convinced of its inefficiency and set about developing their own “method of invention”. In 1947 G. Altshuller and R. Shapiro began to analyze the history of the development of technology in order to identify patterns of discoveries. Unlike psychologists who studied human cognitive activity as the basis of an invention, they focused on the technical systems created by man himself. After examining tens of thousands of copyright certificates and patents, in 1948 the original theory of solving inventive problems was born.

G. Altshuller wrote about the developed methodology in a letter addressed to Stalin with a proposal to begin teaching. But to a certain extent, the top leadership of the country did not like the sharp assessments of the situation with inventions in the USSR. The result - the prosecution, the investigation, 25 years of the Gulag. In 1954, after rehabilitation, Altshuller again began to fully work on TRIZ. As a result, in 1956 his first article on the theory of solving inventive problems was published in the journal Questions of Psychology. In the 1970s Altshuller technology was recognized, the first schools appeared. Such works as “40 methods for eliminating contradictions (principles of invention)”, “Table of basic methods for eliminating typical technical contradictions”, “Algorithm for solving inventive problems (ARIZ)” and others have been published.

Today, there is again an increasing interest in the theory and practice of TRIZ, not only in Russia and the CIS countries, but also in the USA, Canada, Europe, Southeast Asia and South America. Around the world, companies are being created that introduce the practice of TRIZ in various fields of activity. This is especially true of industry, where the Altshuller technique is used to obtain promising solutions to production problems. The theory of solving inventive problems is studied by students of many specialties and schoolchildren of all ages, there are training TRIZ training courses for teachers. In 1989 in Petrozavodsk G. Altshuller created and headed the Association of TRIZ, which in 1997 became international.

More information about TRIZ, in particular, about the history of the development of the theory, you can read in the book "Fundamentals of TRIZ".

Goals, objectives and functions

The main goal of TRIZ ( or even mission ) is to identify and use laws, patterns and trends in the development of technical systems. TRIZ is designed to organize the creative potential of an individual so as to promote self-development and the search for solutions to creative problems in various fields. The main task of TRIZ is to propose an algorithm that allows, without going through the infinite solutions of a problem, to find the most suitable option, discarding lower quality ones. Or, to put it in simpler words, TRIZ allows solving the inventive problem so as to obtain the highest efficiency at the output.

In the book Fundamentals of TRIZ, V. Petrov, President of the Israel TRIZ Association, a member of the Global Group of the European TRIZ Association (ETRIA), outlines the main and auxiliary functions of the theory of solving research problems.

The main functions of TRIZ:

• The solution of creative and inventive problems of any complexity and orientation without going through the options.
• Forecasting the development of technical systems (TS) and obtaining promising solutions (including fundamentally new ones).
• Awakening, training and competent use of natural abilities of a person in inventive activity (first of all, figurative imagination and system thinking), as well as improving teams (including creative ones) towards their ideal (when tasks are performed, but no expenses are required) .

Additional TRIZ functions:

• The solution of scientific and research problems.
• Identification of problems, difficulties and tasks when working with technical systems and in their development.
• Identify the causes of marriage and emergencies.
• The most effective use of natural resources and technology to solve many problems.
• Objective assessment of decisions.
• Systematization of knowledge of any areas of activity, which makes it possible to use this knowledge much more effectively and develop concrete sciences on a fundamentally new basis.
• The development of creative imagination and thinking.
• The development of creative teams.

Principles of Theory

As mentioned above, G.S. Altshuller considered one of the main problems of this theory of invention, as a method of trial and error, to look through numerous solutions. Therefore, in TRIZ, the key role is given to understanding how to avoid this and immediately find strong solutions. The following principles of the theory are proposed for this:

The principle of the objectivity of the laws of the development of systems - the structure, functioning and change of generations of systems are subject to objective laws. Thus, strong solutions are solutions that correspond to objective laws, laws, phenomena, effects. Any system develops in a predetermined way.

The principle of contradiction - under the influence of external and internal factors arise, exacerbated and resolved contradictions. Systems evolve, overcoming contradictions. Accordingly, strong solutions are solutions that overcome contradictions. The dichotomy must be maximized. In the system you need to look for a contradiction.

The principle of ideality - when solving a problem, one should strive for an ideal result (solution) when the maximum result is achieved with minimum effort (cost). Thus, strong solutions are solutions that use internal resources already existing in the system, which are close to an ideal solution. The methodology for solving problems is based on the general evolution laws studied by TRIZ, the general principles for resolving contradictions and the mechanisms for applying these general provisions to solving a specific problem.

The principle of specificity. Each task is specific (specific resources, specific solutions). The principle of concreteness - each class of systems, as well as individual representatives within this class, have specific features that facilitate or impede the change of a particular system. These features are determined by the resources: internal - those on which the system is built, and external - the environment and the situation in which the system is located. Strong solutions are solutions that take into account the specific characteristics of specific systems, as well as individual characteristics related to the identity of a particular person solving a problem.

Place of TRIZ among other theories of creativity

TRIZ holds a special place among other theories of creativity. And the point here is not only in the difference of methods (and that TRIZ is rather not a method, but a whole system). The theory of G. Altshuller was born as an alternative to the trial and error method and an infinitely long search of possible solutions to problems. The task of TRIZ is to find a strong solution almost immediately. This is her first feature.

Another one is that TRIZ was originally based on the study of technical experience, the experience of exact sciences. Accuracy was transferred to the theory itself, which implies a clear step-by-step scheme of actions, which is aimed at achieving an ideal (of course, depending on the conditions) end result. This is due to the fact that the method is based on the use of a special algorithm - ARIZ. Other techniques for finding a creative solution, such as brainstorming, synectics, and lateral thinking, contain an element of uncertainty; moreover, only lateral thinking indicates the need for a precise focus on the problem. TRIZ, in turn, is concrete and strict.

An important difference between TRIZ and other theories is the place allotted to the human factor. In the system of G. Altshuller, the impact on the technical system of a person’s personality is minimized. This partly explains another feature - TRIZ does not contribute to the activation of creative potential, rather, it organizes it. Therefore, this technique is more suitable for solving existing problems, rather than creating something fundamentally new.

Application

Initially, TRIZ dealt only with technological problems, simply speaking, with material things, and was designed to solve problems in technical systems. The basis of the methodology was the patterns identified by Altshuller, so it can be said that in individual manifestations of TRIZ, as an objective response to the requirement for the development of technical systems, existed prior to its scientific description. One of the central principles of the theory - the principle of contradiction - is a necessary condition for progressiveness and invention in general. So, at the beginning of the twentieth century. a contradiction was discovered between classical mechanics based on Galileo's postulates of relativity and classical electrodynamics, which rejected this principle. This stimulated the work of A. Einstein, who proposed his theory of relativity as a solution.

The theory of solving inventive problems contributed to the emergence of a number of technical innovations in the Soviet era, especially in the field of radio electronics and computers. In particular, this is the development of remote and conventional displays, display systems, power supplies, etc.

TRIZ also influenced software development. The principle of contradiction can be considered as the basis for writing such software tools as optimizers and refactoring tools designed to analyze technical contradictions at the level of program code using the methods of resolving contradictions. This industry is developing quite actively.

The technique continues to improve, and since it is not a strict scientific theory and represents a generalized experience of the laws of development not only of technology, but also of science in general, the use of TRIZ is possible in other areas as well.

Pedagogy. TRIZ-pedagogy is a pedagogical system, the purpose of which is to educate a creative person. The methodological basis for TRIZ-pedagogy is the fantastic story of G.S. Altshuller "The Third Millennium", in which he describes the principles of the pedagogy of the future:

1. Pedagogy should be aimed at preparing generalists who know everything and know how to do everything.
2. Training begins at an early age (5 years) and ends at 13, 15, 16 years.
3. Specialization happens by itself. The student chooses the specialty himself.
4. Training is performed with maximum speed (afterburner principle).
5. The training program must be constantly updated and supplemented.
6. Study groups should be small (fours) to take into account the individual characteristics of the child.
7. TRIZ-teacher himself must be a universal creative person.

Read more on Wikipedia.

The newest view is offered by Anatoly Gin, a specialist in the field of TRIZ, who has developed 5 principles of modern TRIZ-pedagogy:

• The principle of freedom of choice. In any teaching or managing action, give the student the right to choose.
• The principle of openness. Not only to give knowledge, but also to show their boundaries. Use open tasks in learning - tasks that stimulate the independent generation of ideas.
• The principle of activity. The development of students knowledge and skills skills mainly in the form of activities.
• Feedback principle. Regularly monitor the learning process using a developed system of feedback techniques.
• The principle of ideality. Maximum use of the opportunities, knowledge, interests of the students themselves in order to improve performance and reduce costs in the education process.

Business and marketing. Anyway, TRIZ has found its application in these areas too. All industrial enterprises in their activities are forced to turn to the TRIZ information fund. It contains indexes of the use of physical, chemical and geometric effects, a bank of standard methods for eliminating technical and physical contradictions, which is constantly updated.

Many companies turn to the services of TRIZ-consultants in order to develop the skills of finding solutions by their employees, increasing their efficiency and productivity. A special section of TRIZ, dedicated to the development of human creative potential, is called upon to help.

The theory of solving inventive problems will be useful to many managers - in the 90s. TRIZ developers have come to the conclusion that the laws of the development of technical systems are similarly manifested in the development of other organized systems, including social ones. The use of TRIZ tools in SWOT analysis is also progressive in planning activities. In marketing research, the principle characteristic of TRIZ is always applied - splitting the target audience into categories according to social, demographic and other characteristics. It also underlies the Kano diagram, which displays how customer preferences are distributed according to quality categories.

The theory finds its application in other areas, such as jurisprudence, art, literature and others.