Introducing the powerful 40 inventive principles - the most popular TRIZ tool

Highly powerful Principles of Innovation from TRIZ system

The 40 TRIZ principles are abstract inventive principles identified by Russian scientist Altshuller to be the principles behind all past inventions and so he concluded that new innovations also will be based on these principles only. By deep study of 200000 patents, Altshulller arrived at this momentous result. These principles form the core component of TRIZ.

40 inventive principles of TRIZ

Principle 1: Segmentation:

     Divide into parts or sections of similar nature: water jet as a cutting tool

     Design an object using modules: a software

Principle 2: Taking out or Extraction:

    Extract the disturbing part or property from an object: Split air-conditioner

Principle 3: Local quality:

    Adapt the individual properties or parts of the object to the required local conditions: Handle grip of a motorcycle

Principle 4: Asymmetry:

     Increase asymmetry: fashion design

Principle 5: Merging, Consolidation or combining:

     Merge or combine similar objects, ideas or operations: microprocessor chip

Principle 6: Universality:  

    Eliminate other parts to combine all functionalities into one part; the single part acts universally for all functions: Swiss army knife

Principle 7: Nested doll:

    Russian nested doll has in it a smaller doll that again has a still smaller doll and so on: folding umbrella, telescopic camera tripod

Principle 8: Anti-weight:

    To compensate for the weight of an object, merge it with other objects that provide lift: Hot air or helium balloon

Principle 9: Preliminary anti-action:

    When it is necessary to perform an action with both harmful and useful effects, this should be replaced with anti-actions to control harmful effects: use masking tape when painting difficult edges

Principle 10: Preliminary action:

    Perform the required change of an object in advance: self-adhesive postage stamps

Principle 11: Beforehand cushioning: 

    Prepare emergency means beforehand to compensate for the relatively low reliability of an object: air-bag in a car

Principle 12: Equipotentiality:

    If an object has to be raised or lowered, redesign the object’s environment so the need to raise or lower is eliminated or performed by the environment: Place a heavy object on ice, and let ice melt in order to lower it. 

Principle 13: The other way round:

    Opposite way of acting: moving sidewalk with standing people

Principle 14: Spheroidality – Curvature:

    Move from flat surfaces to spherical ones: Use arches and domes for strength in architecture

Principle 15: Dynamics:

    Change the object (or outside environment) for optimal performance at every stage of operation: Gel fillings inside seat allow it to adapt to user 

Principle 16 : Partial or Excessive actions:

    If you can’t achieve 100 percent of a desired effect - then go for more or less: Over-fill holes with plaster and then rub back to smooth

Principle 17: Another dimension:

    Move into an additional dimension - from one to two - from two to three: 3D movies

Principle 18: Mechanical vibration:

     Cause an object to oscillate or vibrate: musical instrument

Principle 19: Periodic action:

    Instead of continuous action, use periodic or pulsating actions: Lighthouse lamp, siren  

Principle 20: Continuity of useful action:

    Carry on work without a break. All parts of an object operating constantly at full capacity:  Flywheel stores energy when a vehicle stops, so the motor can keep running at optimum power.

Principle 21: Skipping or Rushing Through:

    Conduct a process, or certain stages of it (e.g. destructible, harmful or hazardous operations) at high speed:  Flash photography 

Principle 22 : Blessing in disguise - Harm into benefit:

    Use harmful factors (particularly, harmful effects of the environment or surroundings) to achieve a positive effect : Use waste heat to generate electric power

 Principle 23: Feedback:

    Introduce feedback to improve a process or action: Automatic volume control in audio circuits

Principle 24: Intermediary/Mediator:

    Use an intermediary carrier article or intermediary process: property dealer  

Principle 25: Self-Service:

    An object must service itself by performing auxiliary helpful functions: drive-in restaurant 

Principle 26: Copying:

    Replace unavailable, expensive, fragile object with inexpensive copies: imitation jewellery

Principle 27: Cheap short-living objects:

    Replace an expensive object with a multiple of inexpensive objects, compromising certain qualities, such as service life: disposable nappies, paper cups etc. 

Principle 28: Mechanics substitution:

     Replace a mechanical system with a sensory one: retina scan

Principle 29: Pneumatics and hydraulics:

     Use gas and liquid parts of an object instead of solid parts (e.g. inflatable, filled with liquids, air cushion, hydrostatic, hydro-reactive): hovercraft

Principle 30: Flexible shells and thin films:

     Tarpaulin car cover instead of garage

Principle 31: Porous materials:

     Make an object porous or add porous elements (inserts, coatings, etc.)

Principle 32: Color changes:

    Change the colour of an object or its external environment: light sensitive sunglasses  

Principle 33: Homogeneity:

    Objects interacting with the main object should be of same material (or material with identical properties): Join wooden components using (wood) dowel joints

Principle 34: Rejecting, Discarding – Recovering, Regeneration:

    After completing their function (or becoming useless) reject objects, make them go away, (discard them by dissolving, evaporating, etc) or modify during the process: multi-stage rocket driven spaceship  

Principle 35: Parameter Changes:

    Change the physical state (e.g. to a gas, liquid, or solid): transport liquid petroleum gas 

Principle 36 : Phase transitions:

    Use phenomena of phase transitions (e.g. volume changes, loss or absorption of heat, etc.): superconductivity

Principle 37: Thermal expansion:

     Use thermal expansion, or contraction, of materials: Shrink-wrapping

Principle 38 : Accelerated oxidation:

    Replace common air with oxygen-enriched air: Place asthmatic patients in oxygen tent 

Principle 39 : Inert atmosphere:

    Replace a normal environment with an inert one: Vacuum packaging   

Principle 40: Composite materials:

    Change from uniform to composite (multiple) materials: Glass-reinforced plastic 

As you see the principles are too many, and on top of it, very abstract. It takes quite a lot of time to absorb the essence of these principles.

To do it, please go through the principles (get various forms of 40 principles from net), try to understand them and the least but not the least, try to find out from your environment clear application of one or more than one of the 40 inventive principles. If you identify yourself, your absorption of the principles will be better and quicker.

Remember, these principles are not only valuable for innovative idea generation, but also very useful in real life problem solving. 

Next session also we will dwell on TRIZ principles.



Read my main blog on Innovation & Problem Solving and the other related blog on Innovation - Basic Principles