Use Combination to generate new ideas

Any two or more things can be combined to get a product with enhanced features like a mobile phone with camera and MP3 player. This is the most widely used technique for creative thinking and product development. Many products of daily use are simple examples of combination. A pencil and an eraser, a music player cum recorder, a watch with a compass are all simple examples of combination.

We can have two different approaches. Either we work on a problem statement and try out various combinations or try combining different products to stimulate our imagination to create a new product.

What if we combine a sports shoe with a mini weighing machine to create an exciting product? What could be its impact on the buyers? Weight displaying shoes would certainly be a bold thing to wear; many would want to flaunt their weight as a style statement while others might reduce a few kilos to get into the shoe. The shoe might soon become an aspiration for the youth.

Poseidon Resort in Fiji combined underwater experience with a resort. It is the world’s first underwater resort which offers exciting adventures with luxury accommodation. Combine tree with hotel. There are many such hotels built on trees in different parts of the world, one such hotel is in Okinawa, Japan.

A fifth standard student came up with an idea of combining grass, leaves, and flowers with shoes. Perishable natural shoes could be used by ladies for special occasions, maybe for a special dinner or marriage evening. Imagination does not have any boundaries.