WHAT’S CHANGING

We have added problem definition tools to the Idea Catalog. We have 5Ws + H and Nine Windows.

WHY YOU’D USE IT

We are passionate about sharing technologies and techniques to avoid reinventing the wheel. There is a lot of clever stuff already out there just waiting to be adopted, or adapted. But, how can you narrow down the thousands of potential ideas that might be a solution for your particular problem?

GETTING STARTED

Go to the Idea Catalog and select Tools from the top menu. Then choose Problem Definition.

5Ws+H

This is a great tool, very easy to use and will get to the nub of the problem really quickly. Based on Rudyard Kipling’s poem “If” it is widely used by journalists and by law enforcement to address the fundamental questions that every story should be able to answer.

The process is simply asking some basic questions: What, Where, When, Who, Why (these are the 5Ws) and H (how). The main question is Why (you keep asking “why?” until you can no longer answer).

In the Idea Catalog, just go to Tools, Problem Definition, choose 5Ws +H and create a workbook. Then simply complete the 6 boxes (prompts to explain the questions to ask are included). This would normally be carried out by a team, so one person can display on Teams (or other systems) and share their screen for others to contribute.

Nine Windows

This is a fascinating tool from Triz. It was historically called the “system operator technique” but Nine Windows is a bit easier to say and makes more sense - there are 9 boxes to fill in!

What is interesting about this technique is that it challenges the team to look more broadly about the problem - particularly in the bigger system and looking at historical perspectives. It poses the question whether the problem really lies where you think it is. Perhaps it is better solved somewhere else. Thinking in terms of time and space.

In the Idea Catalog, just go to Tools, Problem Definition and choose Nine Windows. Then create a workbook. Then follow the same process of filling in the boxes with answers to the questions - ideally as a team effort.

AVAILABILITY

These tools are available to all Idea Catalog users on the Standard and Premium Plan. Those on the Standard Plan can create 3 workbooks. Those on the Premium Plan can create unlimited workbooks. See more at https://www.ideacatalog.net/