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Simple & Pragmatic Problem Solving
#48Chapter 5: Individual Creative Option Generation• Individual Creative Optionscreative Thinkingindividual and group Mode20-40 min(Rapid)

Name Possible Uses

From the book "Advanced Problem-Solving Toolbox: 115 Creative Plays" | Compiled & Edited by: Mojtaba Goudarzi, Open translation: Mehrshid Goudarzi
Executive Synopsis & Core Logic:

Intensive brainstorming to discover and list all unconventional, secondary, and creative uses for an existing object or product.

Operational Parameters & Specifications

Category
Individual Creative Options
Dominant Thinking
creative
Participation
individual and group
Estimated TimeRapid
20-40 min
Fast
Input Format
existing product, part, or scrap with a conventional use
Output Format
Idea generation
Key Application
Developing new markets for old products, changing the use of industrial waste (Circular Economy), innovation in the application and packaging of goods.
Core Differentiator:

a direct attack on the psychological bias of "Functional Fixedness" and redefining the economic value of things in new contexts.

Quick Field Example:

Brainstorm on the regular hammer: in addition to hammering nails, use as an anvil, rescue and glass breaking tool, garden plow and camping prop.

Operational Benefits & Implementation Risks

Advantages & Value Creation:

Instantly freeing the mind from traditional constraints, identifying untapped niche markets, and creating economic value from low-cost disposables.

Risks & Potential Trade-offs:

Some applications may require fundamental design changes in terms of safety or technical standards.

Real-World Organizational & Industry Scenarios

Circular Economy and Recycling: Finding Valuable Uses for Production Line Waste as a Commercial Secondary Product.
Market and sales development: targeting entirely new customer groups for an existing product without the need to build a new factory.
Crisis management and emergency situations: using available tools as tools for relief, survival and rescue.

Strategic Rationale & Why to Apply

1Breaking functional fixation: The mind tends to define objects only in the role they were made for.
2Discovery of commercial blue oceans: Sometimes the most profitable market for a product was not at all in the original use defined by the inventor.
3Organizational Waste Reduction: Converting Waste Disposal Costs into a Sustainable Revenue Stream.
4Increase product longevity in the market: adding multi-functional features to encourage consumers to buy.

Conceptual Framework & Book Method Description

The "Name Possible Uses" technique is one of the most basic and widely used creativity psychology tests (such as Karl Dunker and Gilford's test).

The biggest obstacle to creative thinking is the cognitive bias of "functional fixation"; That is, the mind's tendency to see an object only in its conventional use (eg, a hammer only for nails, or a soda can only for holding liquid). In this technique, the team chooses an object or company product and tries to find at least 30 unusual, strange and useful uses for it within a certain time (for example, 10 minutes). Then the best applications are evaluated in terms of feasibility and attractiveness of the market and are the basis for creating new products or campaigns.

Step-by-Step Real-World Implementation Scenario

Discovery of secondary uses and commercialization of used tire waste with the technique of possible uses
1
Step 1: Choose an object and hold a user storm meetingPlace a worn tire ring in the meeting room and invite the team to find more than 50 possible uses without rejecting any idea.
2
Step 2: Registering unusual and diverse applicationsBrainstorming: children's park flooring, ship dock bumpers, urban decorative vases, karting track obstacles, asphalt subgrade material, ottoman chairs and flood barriers.
3
Step 3: Screening based on economic justification and market demandSelection of two areas with the highest profit margin and government/city demand: 1) rubber granules for park bumper flooring 2) industrial dock bumpers and floats.
4
Step 4: Industrial product design and standardizationCreating a mechanical shredding recycling line to produce impact-resistant floor tiles with fresh urban colors and high resistance to rain.
5
Step 5: Entering the market and eliminating the cost of wasteThe flooring production line became the second most profitable line of the factory, and the environmental cost of tire disposal reached zero.

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Mind Mapping
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The Napoleon Technique
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