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Introduction (Toru Nakagawa, Oct. 2, 2014) This page intends to be the Entrance page for people who want to study TRIZ, which was originally developed in the former USSR mainly in the fields of technology, and its further extensions in various methods of creative problem solving. Selected articles which are suitable for engineers and researchers novice to TRIZ are listed here in a categorized manner. Even though I use the word "TRIZ" in the name of this Web site and in the issues listed at the top center of this page, I am going to address not only so-called 'Classical TRIZ' and 'Contemporary TRIZ' but also many other methods/methodologies for creative problem solving in a much wider sense. Recently I have been using the term 'General methodology of creative problem-solving and task-achiving' (or 'CrePS' in abbriviation), but since the term is not familiar yet, I sometimes use the word TRIZ in such a wider meaning. This page has a subtitle saying 'for Engineers and Researchers', but please understand it in a much wider sense. This page is relevant to a wide range of areas, technology and others, such as science, engineering, pharmacy, agriculture, medicine, etc. in academic categories and many others in industrial or job categories. Not only engineers and researchers in companies but also those involved in research and development in universities, institutions, hospitals, etc. and those who are thinking of various ways of improvement in businesses, at home, etc. may find this page interesting. I have selected the articles suitable for introduction and relatively new. Even though there are many more good articles concerning methods and applications, whenever you understand the points of the articles in this page youa are advised to try to apply the methods for yourself to your problems. Then you may go ahead to read the articles in the Entrance page for Practitioners and Experts, or sometimes articles in the Entrance Page for Students and the General public. Please send me your contributions via email, including questions, requests, opinions, experiences, case studies, news, articles, papers, etc. |
The following is the table of contents of this page. Clicking the
button of each category, you may be guided to the list of selected articles. The articles are recommended for the entrance purposes as shown in the brief introduction. You can access them directly by clicking the
buttons.
(1) Purposes and significances of 'Creative Problem Solving'
Each article is characterized with the marks in 5 different colors:
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old or not classified）.
The
Hyperlinks to each article is shown with the icons:English PDF page,
Japanese HTML page.
Even though I am making efforts for bi-directional translation between Japanese ans English, some of the articles (unfortunately many introductory articles) are posted only in Japanese.
In ( ) shows the date of posting/updating in the present site.
For Engineers and Researchers: A list of selected articles posted in this site
(1) Purposes and significances of 'Creative Problem Solving'
Presented at the 35th Conference of Japan Creativity Society (mostly non-TRIZ audience) and at ETRIA TFC 2013.
By introducing the 'Six-Box Scheme' as a new paradigm, various approaches of creative problem solving, including TRIZ, can be integrated smoothly into a unified system, i.e., a general methodology, of rich techniques of creative problem solving. The methodology consists of three major parts: (a) Initial part (from Box-1 to Box-2): in the 'Real World' we should grasp a problem and make a clear focus on it. (b) Main part (from Box-2 through Box-5): in the 'Thinking World' we should analyze the problem, understand the present system, make images of ideal systems, generate ideas for new systems, and then build them up into conceptual solutions. (c) Succeeding part (from Box-5 to Box-6): in the 'Real World', we should implement the conceptual solutions into specific real solutions in our new products/services. -- We, together with you, can establish such a general methodology, and by handing it out to many different people in the country and in the world, it can be applied to various problems in different fields in the whole country and in the whole world to obtain creative and peaceful solutions. -- This is the vision and message of these papers.
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(2) What is TRIZ ?
First presented at First Symposium on Knowledge Creation Support Systems, held on Feb. 27-28, 2004 at JAIST near Kanazawa, and later published in "the Journal of Japan Creativity Society", Vol. 8 (2004), pp. 49-66. I introduced the whole aspects of TRIZ in a top-down manner on the basis of up-to-date understanding of the methodology. I explained TRIZ/USIT and its usage in the "Steady Strategy" of introduction.
A series of introductory articles published in the monthly journal "InterLab" in Japanese. Starting in Jan. 2006 and finished in Nov. 2007 (Part 22). Only in Japanese, no English translation except the announcements in the 'New Information'.
Part 1 is an Introduction to TRIZ in the form of Q&A interview by a novice: What is TRIZ?, Information sources and textbooks, Basic approach, Thinking way for innovation, Penetration situations, Penetration in Japan, New generation of TRIZ. (Only in Japanese.)
G.S. Altshuller, the Father of TRIZ; The birth, severe time, and growth of TRIZ (1946-70); Public institute of TRIZ (1970-74); Contents of TRIZ in early 70s; Further growth and penetration (1974-85); Contents of 'Classical TRIZ'; Variety of extensions (1985-).
History of TRIZ after the end of the Cold War: Bases prepared for the immigration of TRIZ experts; Implementation into software tools by Invention Machine Inc.; Activities by Ideation International Inc.; The TRIZ Journal and other situations in USA; The Altshuller Institute for TRIZ Studies and its TRIZCONs; Propagation of TRIZ in Europe and organization of ETRIA; Darrell Mann and CREAX; Simplified methods of TRIZ.
History of TRIZ in Japan and Korea: Prehistory and pioneers of introducing TRIZ in Japan; Introduction by "Nikkei Mechanical" journal; Activities by Mitsubishi Research Institute; Activities by SANNO Institute for Management; Nakagawa's activities with "TRIZ Home Page in Japan"; TRIZ textbooks in the early stage; Introducing TRIZ into industries at the early stages; 'Slow but Steady Strategy' for introducing TRIZ; Early stages of introducing TRIZ in Korea; Development of TRIZ in Japan; Current situations of TRIZ penetration in Japan; Company-wide penetration of TRIZ in Samsung, Korea.
A case study of applying TRIZ/USIT to an everyday-life problem is shown, in reference to Tsubasa Shimoda's Bachellor Thesis, OGU. How to learn TRIZ case studies; Problem definition; Problem analysis (space and time characteristics; objects-attributes-functions; imagine an ideal solution); Solution generation (various known solutions; introducing extra things; modifying needles and strings; noble small tools; how the solution ideas were generated); lessons of this case study.
A case study of applying TRIZ/USIT is shown with reference to Naoya Hayashi's Bachellor Thesis, OGU. The problem is based on his experiences while working for a small bookstore in a suburban shopping center. Problem definition; Problem analysis (Process of shoplifting; Relevant objects; Attributes of the objects; Space and Time characteristics; Core difficulty (or contradiction) of the problem); Solution generation (Reviewing conventional methods, New solution ideas).
Starting with the present part, I am going to introduce the TRIZ knowledge bases and software tools to the engineering people who are struggling in the frontiers of technologies. The position of Knowledge Bases within TRIZ; Significance of TRIZ Knowledge Bases; Construction of TRIZ Knowledge Bases; Utilization of TRIZ Knowledge Bases (Publications and Web information; TRIZ software tools; e-Learning tools on TRIZ); When to use TRIZ Knowledge Bases in the problem solving process.
As the most basic component of the TRIZ Knowledge Bases, the database of Scientific and Technical Principles and Phenomena (i.e. Effects, in TRIZ terms) is explained here first. (1) Methods of collecting information in science and technology (Accumulation of knowledge in individual disciplines; Collecting information by information retrieval; Exhaustive survey of patents by researchers; Automatic analysis of documents with Semantic Analysis Tools); (2) Usage of Science and Technology Database (i.e. Effects DB) (Construction of Effects DB; Basics of using Effects DB; Using Effects DB on the basis of the "S-A-O Concept"; Searching for new knowledge by chaining and extending the "S-A-O"; Classification of knowledge by Functions; Classification of knowledge by Attributes (or Properties); When should we use the Effects DB?)
A unique knowledge base in TRIZ is that of 'Trends of Evolution of Technical Systems', where the directions of evolutionary development in technical systems are extracted so as to be adaptable in the whole range of technologies. It gives us knowledge easy to learn and yet very powerful to use. An example of Trends of Technical System Evolution; Basics of Trends of Technical System Evolution (Concepts and terminology of Trends of Evolution; Concepts of evolution in technical systems; Schemes of showing Trends of Technical System Evolution); Usage of Trends of Technical System Evolution (Studying Trends of Evolution; Thinking along Trends of Evolution; Activating the 'Potential of Evolution'; Problem solving with the use of Trends of Evolution).
In technical projects, we often have a target we want to achieve and then we have to look for some means to reach the goal. In such a case we need to clarify the goal in terms (or languages) of functions, and then search a knowledge base (i.e., Functional Knowledge Base) with the clews of those terms for obtaining some hints of implementation means. TRIZ has a rich collection of knowledge and software tools for this purpose. (1) Hints from something having the same function; (2) Classification of functions and function DB's (Function as a target; Function classification and DB in IM's TechOptimizer; Function classification in Mann's textbook; CREAX' Function DB); (3) Active use of Function Databases (Is the target function really clear? Case studies with full use of Function DB's).
Altshuller extracted the essence of inventions from a huge number of patents and constructed them into the '40 Inventive Principles', which are most popular among many TRIZ tools. (1) How to learn Inventive Principles (References to Inventive Principles; Table of the 40 Inventive Principles; Description of the Principles; Sub-principles; Narrower and wider understanding of the Principles); (2) Understanding the essences of existing patents by use of Inventive Principles (Understanding the essence of an invention; Understanding the guiding principles of a field of subject; Understanding the direction of evolution of a technical system); (3) Using Inventive Principles as the hints for solutions (Studying application examples of Invention Principles; Applying the essence appropriately); (4) Extension of application areas of Inventive Principles (Collection of application cases in different areas; Interpretation of Inventive Principles in new areas; Should we add more Principles?).
Altshuller's Contradiction Matrix and its modernized version by Darrell Mann et al. are introduced. (1) Introduction: 'Types of Problems' (Different concepts of 'Types of Problems'; Altshuller's concept of 'Types of Problems'), (2) Altshuller's Contradiction Matrix: Its construction and usage (Construction of the Matrix by Altshuller; How to use the Contradiction Matrix; Practical remarks for usage; Historical change in the evaluation of the Matrix), (3) Updated version Matrix 2003 (Construction of Matrix 2003; Parameters in Matrix 2003; Easier ways from problems to Inventive Principles; Verification of the effectiveness of Matrix 2003; Matrices for software development and non-technology fields).
Using a simple everyday-life problem, the whole procedure of problem solving with TRIZ/USIT is demonstrated. (1) Difficulty of binding over 30 sheets of papers with a stapler (Initial setting of the problem; Observing and speculating root causes; Analyzing the lateral play of the stapler arm), (2) Discovery of an unexpected root cause (Observing an unexpected fact; Examining the mechanism to find the root cause; A desirable solution blocked by a contradiction), (3) Solution ideas generated with TRIZ/USIT (Altshuller's Smart Little People (SLP) Modeling; Smart Little People supporting the staple from the inner sides; Interpreting the SLP's ideas in terms of technology), (4) Constructing the solution concepts (Construct the basic mechanism; Design new systems with proactive use of the new idea).
For the managers, the keys to introduce, apply, and promote TRIZ/USIT in industries are explained. (1) The current turning-point situations of TRIZ penetration, (2) For what should we use TRIZ? (For what should we use TRIZ?; Problems where we do not use TRIZ; Application fields of TRIZ/USIT), (3) Cases having proved the benefits of TRIZ usage (Cases showing business benefits; A case study having proved that TRIZ has really improved the creativity of engineers), (4) How to introduce TRIZ/USIT (Practical ways of introducing TRIZ in industries; The moments of breaking through the barriers of TRIZ introduction/penetration; Roles of top-down promotion; Key points for breaking through).
Essence of basic concepts (or philosophy) of TRIZ is expressed in 50 words in English (T. Nakagawa, 2001). (1) Essence of TRIZ in 50 Words (How this essence was obtained; Essence of TRIZ expressed in 50 words), (2) Recognition by TRIZ (Essence of TRIZ is a recognition of technology; Recognition that technical systems evolve; Evolution towards the increase in Ideality; Overcoming of a contradiction is a step in the evolution; Minimal introduction of resources), (3) Creative thinking methods for problem solving (TRIZ provides thinking methods for solving problems creatively; Dialectic thinking; Understanding the problem as a system; Making an image of ideal solution first; Thinking method to solve contradictions).
Basic concepts of TRIZ are explained one by one. (1) The word of 'System' ('System' in dictionaries; Properties of a 'System'), (2) Understanding a problem as a system of problems, (3) Concept of 'Technical Systems' (Hierarchical nature of systems; Selecting relevant components of a system; Laws of Completeness of Technical Systems; Evolution from tools to autonomous machines; Understanding minimal problems; Auxiliary laws related to the completeness of technical systems; 9-Windows method (System Operator)).
(1) The concept of 'Fields' in TRIZ (Concept of Fields in Physics; The term of 'Fields' in TRIZ; Variety of 'Fields' in TRIZ; Concept of Levels of Fields in TRIZ), (2) Effective Use of TRIZ 'Fields' Concepts, (3) Substance-Field Model in TRIZ (Altshuller's Su-Field Model; Interpretation in Terms of Function; Aims of Building Su-Field Models; Concept of Function in TRIZ).
(1) Concept of Ideality in TRIZ (Necessity of thinking about Ideality; Definition of Ideality in Classical TRIZ; Understanding of Ideality in recent TRIZ literatures; Ideal Final Result (IFR)); (2) Improving the Ideality and the S-Curve (S-Curve of Evolution; Invention & business focus along the S-curves); (3) Making images of Ideality (Importance of making an image of Ideality; Making an image of Ideal results; Ideal solution by Itself in TRIZ; Self-X patents).
(1) What are Resources in TRIZ? (Ordinary meaning of the word resources; Meaning of Resources in TRIZ); (2) Introducing Various Types of Resources (Purpose of thinking of Resources in TRIZ; Different types of Resources; Resources in the form of Evolution Potential); (3) "Introduce Resources and reduce Resources" (Ideality requires the reduction of Resources; Introduce AND reduce the Resources); (4) Methods towards Introduction AND Reduction (Trimming; Introducing voids; Closed World concept in ASIT; Use of the waste; Turning harm into benefit; Using trends of evolution).
Concepts of contradictions and the methods to resolve them are the real core part of TRIZ and significant contributions to the methodology of innovation in general. (1) Technical contradictions and the method with the Contradiction Matrix. (Trade-offs and optimization; Resolution with the Contradiction Matrix; The intrinsic nature of the Contradiction Matrix method); (2) Physical contradictions and their resolution methods (Position of the Physical Contradictions; Solving Physical Contradictions with the Separation Principles; Case study of a water-saving toilet system; Dialectics; How to derive the Physical Contradictions; Extension of the conditions for separating Physical Contradictions; The basic idea of Solution Combination Method; Resolving contradictions without formalizing the contradictions).
Basic concepts of TRIZ are explained one by one. Basic scheme for problem solving, i.e., not the process of individual methods but the overall general process of problem solving in TRIZ is discussed. (1) Analogical Thinking and ET Thinking (Being enlightened with a hint; Equivalent Transformation Thinking by Kikuya Ichikawa); (2) Solving at the abstract level in the 'Four-Box Scheme' (Four-Box Scheme of problem solving; Significance of the Four-Box Scheme in problem solving; Four-Box Scheme in various methods of TRIZ; Limitation and change in the Four-Box Scheme); (3) 'Six-Box Scheme of creative problem solving in USIT (Describing the overall structure of problem solving in USIT; Six-Box Scheme of problem solving in USIT; Features and significance of the Six-Box Scheme).
This article is the last part of the present introductory series on TRIZ, because the publisher decided to cease hte publicaion of the "InterLab" journal unfortunately. This series just finished in the last part explaining the basic concepts in TRIZ. Thus in this final Part, I introduced 8 real case studies to help readers understand the current active usage of TRIZ/USIT around the world. (1) International conferences in TRIZ; (2) Case Studies in Technologies (Stainless Steel Frameworks of joint structure without weldering; Corrosion protection in ship building; Novel 'motors' invented by V. Perna; Preventing static electric discharge in semiconductor devices; Insulated wire-bonding technology); (3) Case Studies in IT/Software field (A big shift in IT: 'On Demand'; Mishra's new book "TRIZ Principles for IT/Software"; Auto-locking door system in apartment buildings).
Introduction & Research Note: Essence of TRIZ in 50 Words (Toru Nakagawa)
An answer to the question "What is the essence of TRIZ?". Originally written as a slide presented in TRIZCON2001 in a statement of 50 words, and then explained here in 2 pages as a section of my paper to be presented in ETRIA TFC 2001. It says: "Essence of TRIZ: Recognition that technical systems evolve towards the increase of ideality by overcoming contradictions mostly with minimal introduction of resources. Thus, for creative problem solving, TRIZ provides a dialectic way of thinking, i.e., to understand the problem as a system, to image the ideal solution first, and to solve contradictions. "
Published in "Value Engineering" journal Japan VE Association, May 2005 Issue. An introduction to the TRIZ methodology up-to-date in May 2005. This article describes the essence of TRIZ philosophy, TRIZ knowledge bases (especially in its modernized form), and TRIZ ways of thinking and thinking tools, towards readers novice to TRIZ. This gives an overview of TRIZ, especially on its structure and characteristic features.
Published in "Standardization and Quality Control" (JSA), Vol. 66, No. 2 (2013). The Japanese Standards Association (JSA) published its monthly magazine as a Special Issue on TRIZ, containing 8 TRIZ papers in 53 pages. JSA is a semi-official organization for promoting standardization, e.g. ISO and JIS (Japanese Industrial Standards), and QC. On the request by JSA, the Board Members of Japan TRIZ Society wrote down a set of introductory papers. Under the permission by JSA, all the 8 papers were posted in this site. Two of them are shown below.
The first article in the TRIZ Special Issue. Hayashi describes the position and roles of TRIZ: In the processes of designing and developing products and services in technology, we should use not only methods and knowledge in the subject fields but also various techniques commonly useful in any field. TRIZ is one of such universal 'Design & development process engineering techniques', especially for solving problems and achieving tasks in technological fields.
Published as 2nd article in the TRIZ Special Issue of the JSA's monthly journal "Standardization and Quality Control", Vol. 66, No. 2 (2013). The author introduces basic concepts of TRIZ and principal tools, in the scope of classical TRIZ (and some of its revised forms). He shows a lot of small examples for illustrating the concepts.
Presented at Japan TRIZ Symposium 2009 by Pioneer Corp. This is an excellent work based on an intensive wide-scoped research for many years and has been posted and used in their intranet home page. 'Monozukuri' is the Japanese word for 'making things' in a wide sense, including all the processes of planning, designing, manufacturing, production, etc. The Authors have built an Index Matrix for finding useful methods/tools from the current phases of jobs of Monozukuri. The key idea of making the Index Matrix is to list up the engineers' intentions/questions along the phases of the whole Monozukuri process. The table is as big as (37 questions) x (73 methods/sub-methods). 8 methods are listed in TRIZ and another in USIT.
Presented at Japan TRIZ Symposium 2014. The 40 Inventive Principles are classified into 9 groups for easier teaching. Groups of 4 principle are formed from the top, and the 8th and 9th groups are made with 6 principles. The Author has given names to the nine groups, then arranged them in the 9 windows (3x3), and made the path of going through them in a way like a sugoroku game. How to teach and utilize the principles and their symbols is illustrated vividly.
A handy software tool for drawing and handling labels smoothly on Excel sheets for supporting 'Visual Thinking'. Information in Excel cells can be converted with a click into labels, and such labels, connecting lines, and enclosures may be moved around smoothly on the sheet. The use of the software stimulates users' thoughts in idea generation, document composition, discussions in a group, etc. The author has also built a Web site describing various methods for generating thoughts in a systematic manner.
(3) Information sources of TRIZ
(Aug. 22, 2011)
Originally written for Postscript of the Japanese Edition of Umakant Mishra's Book: "A Collection of Problem Solving Ideas in IT and Software Technologies" and posted in this site. I wrote this article for people coming new to TRIZ, with the assumption they already read the basics of TRIZ concepts in the Introduction by Umakant Mishra. I introduce the current situations of TRIZ in the World and in Japan, and show information sources in TRIZ, especially several excellent papers of application and promotion case studies presented at Japan TRIZ Symposia.
TRIZ References: Books, etc.
Top page of TRIZ Refereneces in this site. Enlgish page was last updated in 2005, while Japanese page in Jul. 2008. 30 Japanes books related to TRIZ are listed. (Sorry but not updated well in this page.)
In Feb. 2014, Nakagwa started the publication of TRIZ books from CrePS Institute (Director: Toru Nakagawa). On the basis of former publication (or preparation for publication) by Sozo Kaihatsu Initiative, Ltd. (SKI), five books were already published by Aug. 2014. They are available in the form of Print on Demand and digital down loading from the DLmarket site in Japan. The page shown here is the parent page of the publication annoncements, containing a table of publications and the guide for purchasing them. The books are published in Japanese, but many relevant documents of the books are posted in English as well as in Japanese.
The Book Series are now available also at Amazon.co.jp Market Place for the standard price plus 259 yen for shipping; no delivery out of Japan. (Apr. 25, 2015)
Vol. (1A) of the book series "TRIZ Practices and Benefits". Soft cover B5 size, 502 pages, 7000 yen+tax. (Former Japanese Edition (supervising translator: Toru Nakagawa) was published in 2004 from SKI.)
The new Japanese Editon replaces the original Altshuller's Contradiction Matrix with the up-to-date Mann's Matrix 2010, under the approval of the author and with the revision of text in Chapter 10 at the minimal level. -- I think Mann's HOSI is still the best textbook on modernized TRIZ (or Systematic Innovation, in his words).
Vol. (2A) of the book series "TRIZ Practices and Benefits". Soft cover B5 size, 154 pages, 2600 yen+tax. (Former Japanese Edition "Matrix 2003" (translator: Toru Nakagawa) was published in 2005 from SKI.).
'Contradiction Matrix' was originally built by G. Altshuller by early 1970s in the form of 39×39 after tremendous efforts. Altshuller himself was not satisfied with its effectiveness and did not include it in ARIZ since mid '70s. Since '90s, the Matrix has become popullar in the western world, but it has been used in the old form because of the prohibitive difficulty of revising it. Darrell Mann et al (CREAX and later Systematic Innovation) started the big project of updating Contradiction Matrix in 2000; they analyzed all the US patents granted since 1985 with full use of modern IT tools. Their Matrix 2003 is of size 48×48, while Matrix 2010 size 50×50. Categorization into parameters has become easier and the tool's recommendation of Principles more illustrative to apply. The contents of the Contradiction Matrix should also evolve, as the progress in science and technology, Mann says. -- We should use the updated Matrix instead of the old one. This is the way of appreciating and furthering the vision and philosophy of our TRIZ Father, I believe.
Vol. (3) of the book series "TRIZ Practices and Benefits". Soft cover B5 size, 208 pages in full color, 4200 yen+tax. Japanese translation by Toshio Takahara and Toru Nakagawa. (Previous CD-R edition was published by SKI in 2009).
The author has reorganized all the components of TRIZ tools and constructed an overall process of product development in accordance with the in/out relationships of information. The principal stages should be: Business and market needs => What system does => Identify pivotal functions => Idealize functional components => Idealize attributes of functional components. During the processes of idealizing the functions and attributes, there appear various problems and contradictions, for which TRIZ tools can be used effectively. The author describes these procedures with a large number of illustrative figures of examples. He also illustrated many more ways of solving Physical Contradictions than classical TRIZ. -- The textbook is easy to understand and enjoyable for beginners, and yet is challenging for experts.Note: Vol. (3S) is "Hierarchical TRIZ Algorithms (for Novices)". Concise and simple edition, as specified by the author. Soft cover B5 size, 56 pages in full color, 1200 yen+tax.
Vol. (4) of the book series "TRIZ Practices and Benefits". Soft cover B5 size, 430 pages, 4000 yen+tax. Supervising translator: Toru Nakagawa. (Publication prepared by SKI in 2011).
This book is principally dedicated to many people involved in IT and software, not knowing of TRIZ. The author collected about 3000 cases of IT/SW solutions from US patents and others, and interpreted the essence of their solution ideas and categorized them with TRIZ 40 Principles. In each of 40 chapters, a Principle and examples of its application are explained in an way easy to understand for IT/SW people. -- Mishra has turned a huge complex accumulation of technical knowledge into a treasury of essence of ideas. -- I built 'Index of IT/SW technologies/techniques classified and organized hierarchically.
The pages of TRIZ (and relevant) Links were rebuilt (after 8 years) in Aug. 2008 after much efforts of survey and compilation. 100 Links in Japan were compiled and annotated in Japanese, and Selected 30 Links in Japan are shown in the Japanese page, and Selected 10 Links in Japan in the English page. In the world (outside Japan) 120 Links were compiled and annotated in English, and Selected 30 Links in the world are shown in the Japanes page while Selected 50 Links in the world in the English page. -- It is desirable to update these pages, by getting someone's voluntary help.
Parent page on TRIZ News and Activities in Japan and in the world. Kept up to date (even though not so active).
Held by ETRIA and ENSAM-ParisTech on Oct. 29-31, 2013, in Paris. The 3 days conference had 8 invited talks and 72 presentations, with about 150 participants form about 30 different countries. I attended and presented a paper at the conference. The official Web site of the conference is:
In my Personal Report (of 5 pages), I have listed up 37 presentations of interest with brief introduction and categorized them according to their topics. I am planing to post several selected papers in English and in Japanese translation her. -- I attended and presented all the 13 ETRIA TFC conferences since 2001 and wrote Personal Reports of them in English (and in Japanese) to review and introduce presentations which were interesting to me.
Held by Japan TRIZ Society on Sept. 5-6, 2013 in IMS, Tachikawa, Tokyo. The 2 days conference had 6 invited talks and 23 presentations, with about 140 participants. I attended and presented a paper at the symposium. In the official home page of Japan TRIZ Society, you can read the slides of all the invited talks and contributed presentations both in Japanese
and in English
Held at Louisville, KY, USA, on Apr. 23 - 25, 2007. App. 70 participants, 22 papers published in the Proceedings. Reviewed all the actually-presented papers from my personal point of view and reported in English (summary alone in Japanese). A Keynote Lecture was given by Alla Nesterenko (Russia) on her experiences of teaching school children (K-12) on the basis of TRIZ. Two papers presented by Hyman Duan at al. (China) and by Sergey Malkin (USA) are remarkable in their trials of developing new easy-to-learn TRIZ software tools. Eexcellent case study papers were presented by Gunter Ladewige et al. (Canada) and by Tzu-Chang Chen (Taiwan). It is a pity that contributions from US industries and US academia in research are decreasing for these several year in TRIZCON even though contributions from Asian countries are increasing. -- I attended and presented at TRIZCON almost every year from 1999 to 2007 and wrote 'Personal Reports'.
"TRIZ 40 Principles" is an excellent new book in Japanese authored by Y. Takagi and published by Discover 21, Inc., Tokyo. The book is very well organized and written, and has been accepted popularly as one of the best sellers in the Engineering/Patents & Invention genre in Amazon.co.jp. Congratulations!! Unfortunately, however, in the belt and in the Preface of the book, the descriptions look too much journalistic/sensational, used to be typical in late 1990s in Japan, and contain several misleading catch copies in relation to the TRIZ history in the former USSR. Nakagawa sent a comment on them to Mr. Takagi for the purpose of preventing them from being spread to readers new to TRIZ.
(4) History and current situations of TRIZ
Presented at TRIZCON2004. For introducing TRIZ into industries, the current "Steady Strategy" in Japan is described. We use USIT as a simple, unified, and effective TRIZ process. Activities in a number of Japanese industries are described.
The 3rd article in the TRIZ Special Issue of "Standardization and Quality Control" (JSA). The present paper describes my perspective views on different approaches and activities of TRIZ in Japan and in the world since 1990s, i.e. after TRIZ was introduced into the western world. Evolution of TRIZ in its methodological contents is described first from the global viewpoints. Then I explain various activities of penetrating TRIZ in different countries in the world and in Japan.
Just before the election of the House of Councilors, I made a summary of my recent research, and sent it via post to about 250 people and posted it here.
(1) I have clarified the structure of ‘General Methodology of Creative Problem Solving (CrePS)’. (ref. TRIZCON2016 Presentation.)
(2) For applying CrePS to social problems, I visualized the logic of Fujita’s Book “The Low-living Elderly” in diagrams. (ref. A pamphlet of 24 pages of visualized LLE diagrams.)
(3) I critically reviewed the 82 customer reviews of the LLE book posted at the Amazon.co.jp site, and found in people a serious lack of understanding of social thoughts and social ethics. Considering its roots, I have recognized that ‘Liberty vs. Love’ is ‘the Principal Contradiction in the Human Culture’. Human Culture has been trying to solve the Principal Contradiction, but the contradiction has become even more complex and difficult to solve in many aspects. As we learned in TRIZ, we should recognize/understand the contradiction first and then working to solve the contradiction. (ref. ‘Liberty vs. Love’: The Principal Contradiction Inherent in the Human Culture. )
(5) Basics of TRIZ
Lectures given to the Sophomore Students of Faculty of Informatics, OGU at the "Scientific Information Methodologies" Class, from October 2010 to January 2011. Using TRIZ and USIT as the backbone, I am teaching methodologies of creative problem solving in a wider scope. Lecture Notes (in Japanese) of the 14 lectures are posted in PDF. (You may read in English a little more detail of the class in my ETRIA TFC2007 paper
(1) An easy introduction: Flexible thinking necessary for innovation
(2) Three principal approaches of studying and applying science and technology: Starting from observations, from principles, and from problems
(3) Finding the problem, focusing on it, and collecting information
(4) How come up with ideas? Trial-and-error, enlightenment, and creativity
(5) What are 'Systems': Components and their relations, hierarchy, and technical systems
(6) Analyzing the problem (1) Finding root causes of the problem/difficulty
(7) Extra: How to construct and write a report/paper
(8) Analyzing the problem (2) Analyzing functions and attributes of the technical system (Supplement of (7)
(9) Analyzing the problem (3) Analyzing space and time characteristics; Making an image of the ideal solution （supplement of (8)
(10) Generating solutions (1) Fully utilizing knowledge bases
(11) Generating solutions (2) How to break through the barriers
(12) Generating solutions (3) A system of solution generation methods (USIT Operators)
(13) Case studies of everyday-life problem solving; Summary of creative problem solving methodologies (1) USIT
(14) Summary of creative problem solving methodologies (2) TRIZ; Conclusion of the class
A series of 5 articles publishedn in the monthly journal "Machine Design", Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun, from August to December 2007 issues. In my previous TRIZ articles, USIT has been mentioned part by part in different contexts. In the preent series, USIT is explained in its entire form with minimum mentioning to TRIZ. Brief summaries are written in English.
Overall view of USIT is given in the Q&A style with a novice. (1) Introduction; (2) What is USIT? Its History of Development; (3) Information Sources and Textbooks of USIT; (4) Motive and Features of USIT; (5) Process of Problem Solving with USIT; (6) Practices in USIT; (7) Penetration Status and Significance of USIT. Short summary in English
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Two case studies taken from the thesis works of my students at OGU are demonstrated: (1) Overall structure of problem solving with USIT. (2) Case study: 'How to prevent the staple from being crashed'. (3) Case study: 'How to fix a string shorter than the needle'.
The first half part of USIT procedure is explained by using the prvious two case studies. (1) Overview of the Problem Definition and Problem Analysis; (2) How to Define the Problem; (3) Problem Analysis: Understanding the Present System; (4) Problem Analysis: Understanding the Ideal System.
The latter half of USIT procedure is explained. (1) Outline of the Solution Generation Stages in the Six-Box Scheme in USIT; (2) The USIT Operators; (3) Guided thinking in the Solution Generation Phases.
Practices of learning, applying, and mastering USIT are explained. (1) For what purposes can we use USIT?; (2) How can we learn it?; (3) Trainings of USIT; (4) Key points for mastering USIT; (5) Practices and promotion of USIT; (6) Case studies of promoting TRIZ/USIT; (7) Concluding remarks.
Ed Sickafus is the original developer of USIT, and gave this Keynote lecture at 2nd Japan TRIZ Symposium 2006. Excerpt of his abstract is: ”Structured problem-solving methodologies, such as ASIT, TRIZ, USIT and others, are made easier to learn and practice through a simple theory. Such methods have a common basis in creative thinking but engage various forms of structure to achieve their goals. ... This talk is a theoretical discussion of how we think as we progress along the path from problem definition to innovative solution concepts. It will be seen that our two brain hemispheres provide near instantaneous insights that are both logical and intuitive. By understanding their fortes we can best use our cognitive resources. Some surprising insights are presented. ..." The lecture was excellent but 'unusual', and gave us a shock in our standard way of thinking. Please read his paper
A talk presented for 60 minutes to a dozen of highschool students. A general view of how to think and solve problems creatively is given in the demonstration of a case study 'How to make a knot with short string at the end of sewing'. A concise and nice class material of 20 slides. ==> Slides are posted in English translation (Apr. 12, 2015)
(Mar. 3, 2016)
Tutorial Lecture on USIT for 3 hours in English at ICSI 2015 in Hong Kong. A full explanation of USIT to the beginners, using the USIT Manual
(6) Knowledge bases and tools of TRIZ
Paper presented at ETRIA TFC 2002. TRIZ Solution Generation Methods (including Inventive Principles, Inventive Standards, Trends of Evolution, and Separation Principle) have been reorganized in the frame work of USIT, forming a simple and powerful system of solution methods. -- This is an important paper for the extension of USIT methodology in Japan. We say USIT is not a 'simplified TRIZ' but an easy-to-apply, 'unified TRIZ' in its next generation.
Appendix of the paper presented at ETRIA TFC 2002. A simple system of USIT Solution Generation Methods, having 5 main Operators and 32 sub-operators, which has been enhanced by the reorganization of whole TRIZ Solution Generation Methods.
USIT sub-operators are described in a slide each, for USIT beginners or for summary.
USIT sub-operators are explained in one to sevral slides each, for studying USIT in the standard way.
Presented at TRIZCON2003, Japanese translation by Nakagawa. On the basis of the Patent Research, the Contradiction Matrix has been completely modernized in its contents, in its parameter set (now 48 parameters), in its user-interface, etc. The Matrix ("Matrix 2003") is now customizable, e.g. to software development field.
Presented at ETRIA TFC2005. Japanese translation by Nakagawa. Since the cost problem covers a very wide range of issues, we need careful analyses, the author says. Many of TRIZ beginners try to deal with cost-related issues, meet difficulties, and decide that TRIZ is of no use. So, we TRIZ experts should construct/re-arrange TRIZ methods in such a way that TRIZ beginners can tackle cost-related problems with TRIZ, the author says and actually suggests a version of such an approach. -- An important paper for teaching/learning TRIZ.
See the English paper in www.triz-journal.com
(7) Methodologies of TRIZ and its extensions
Presented at ETRIA TFC2006. The 'Six-Box Scheme' which I have been advocating as a new paradigm of creative problem solving is illustrated. The first half of the presentation explains the concept of the Six-Box Scheme, while the latter half describes the comparison of 'the Four-Box Scheme paradigm with traditional TRIZ' and 'the new Six-Box scheme with USIT' from 6 viewpoints. Full paper and slides in English, while slides in Japanese. The paper presented at Japan TRIZ Symposium 2006 forms a complementary pair with this paper
Presented at Japan TRIZ Symposium 2006. The 'Six-Box Scheme' which I have been advocating since 2 years ago is presented with illustrations. The first half of the presentation explains the concept of the Six-Box Scheme, while the latter half demonstrate two everyday-life case studies, i.e. 'How to fix a string shorter than the needle' and 'A system for preventing from our leaving things behind'. Slides in English and in Japanese. Forms a complementary pair with the paper presented at ETRIA TFC 2006.
Presented at Japan TRIZ Symposium 2008. I have reviewed how USIT was introduced in Japan and has been extended in Japan for these 10 years. (1) I introduced USIT into Japan as an easy-to-learn TRIZ. It forms a basis of my 'Slow-but-Steady Strategy' of introducing TRIZ into Japan. (2) We reorganized all the solution generation methods in TRIZ into the framework of USIT and constructed a system of USIT Operators, having 5 principal methods and 32 sub-methods. This makes USIT a next-generation TRIZ, forming a basis of 'Steady Strategy' of penetrating TRIZ in Japan. (3) Data-flow representation of USIT gave the concept of 'Six Box Scheme', which has been realized as a New Paradigm for Creative Problem Solving. (4) Teaching to university students and training of industrial engineers have been established, and applications to real industrial projects have been carried out in companies. With all these activities, USIT has been contributing to promote TRIZ in a way easy to learn and apply, i.e. a unique feature of the TRIZ community in Japan in comparison to other countries.
Presented at 3rd Forum on Knowledge Co-Creation (FoKCs) to mostly non-TRIZ audience. My main points are: 'A general methodology' of creative problem solving is not established yet. Even though there are a large range of individual techniques and approaches, we need a good framework to integrate them. For such a framework, I propose to overcome the conventional 'Four-Box Abstraction Scheme' (which is used not only in TRIZ but also very widely in science and technology) and to introduce the 'Six-Box Scheme' which was found in USIT. Using the Six-Box Scheme as the basic framework, we will be able to build a general methodology for creative problem solving.'
Presented at Japan Creativity Society Conference 2013 (mostly non-TRIZ audience) and at ETRIA TFC 2013. This paper is shown also at the top of the list in this page, because of its importance. ==>
A 7-page Preface newly written down by the author for the Japanese Edition of his book "Hierarchical TRIZ Algorithms". He has decomposed all the TRIZ tools together with various other methods related to product development and market development, and has reorganized them into an integrated process with the aim at clarifying the input/output information of processes and constructing a logically integrated process. The Hierarchical TRIZ Algorithms advises us to turn from 'selling what we can make' to 'making what we can sell'.
TRIZ Paper: Now, Once again, 'There is no TRIZ that doesn't work' － As a core technology for solution － (Hajime Kasai)
Presented at Japan TRIZ Symposium 2013. The phrase "There is no TRIZ that doesn't work" is the motto of IDEA Inc., a Japanese consulting firm specialized in TRIZ since 2003. The author, one of the consultants of IDEA, has experienced 119 cases of applying TRIZ to real projects. He is disclosing his application methods in accordance to six types of problems, i.e., Problem solving, Performance improvement, New method identification, Cost reduction, Reduction in size and weight, and Product planning. The methodology uses various selected tools in TRIZ, and depending on the requirements uses QFD at the preceding stage and Taguchi Method at the subsequent stage. The author has set up customized full processes by selecting suitable tools for the 6 types and calls them as 'solutions'. -- I noticed that this presentation coincides with my proposal of CrePS in several points.
Presented at (A) Japan TRIZ Symposium 2014, (B) Japan Creativity Society Conference 2014, and (C) ETRIA TFC 2014. My main message is: "We can establish the General methodology CrePS on the basis of TRIZ/USIT research by reorganizing a wide variety of problem solving methods in the 'Six-Box Scheme'". The on-going research activities for developing CrePS are: (1) To make course materials of CrePS case studies. (We should just use case studies already published.) (2) To understand different methods (including TRIZ) and to describe them in the framework of CrePS. (3) To relate CrePS to various activities in the 'Real world'. (4) To categorize various purposes of CrePS application, and to recommend concise CrePS processes for each category. (5) To proliferate the vision of CrePS.
Tonight (Dec. 10, 2014), three Japanese researchers, Prof. Isamu Akasaki, Prof. Hiroshi Amano, and Prof. Shuji Nakamura are jointly awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics 2014 "for the invention of efficient blue light-emitting diodes which has enabled bright and energy-saving white light sources". Congratulations! -- Here are two papers by Prof. E. Yamaguchi, in Japanese (2004) and in English (2006), which formed the basis of his book "Innovation -- Paradigm Disruptions and Fields of Resonance" (NTT Press, 2006) (in Japanese). He investigated the innovation process of blue LEDs and argues that the LED innovation is not the type of Christensen's Disruptive Innovation (of decreasing the performance for some other needs/purposes) but the type of Paradigm-Disruptive Innovation (by disrupting/changing the basic/physical paradigm). He discusses how such paradigm change can be achieved, and why big excellent companies often fail in front of such a paradigm change. -- This is an important paper for understanding the essence of innnovation process.
The authors pursue for the methods of linking their technological seeds (S) with their customers needs (N), in order to provide new products/services of attractive quality and to reveal some hidden needs of customers. A tabular format 'SN Matrix' is to describe their aims and means consistently in terms of 'functionality'. For each function, their own goal/current levels of realizing the function, competitors' technology, customers' requirements, priority, etc. are described. The SN Matrix is consistently applicable in the 7 categories of problem solving processes (or 'solutions').
The 57 slides given in a lecture for 90 minutes as an overview. I first describe that the basic Four-Box Scheme of Abstraction which is generally assumed in the current science and technology has a limitation and that many conventional 'Creativity methods' address with different partial aspects without having a sound overall view. As new scientific approaches to inventive thinking, I explain TRIZ first and then USIT. On the basis of them, the Six-Box Scheme was newly formulated as the paradigm for 'General Methodology of Creative Problem Solving' (CrePS).
This 8-page paper intends "To understand the world in a consistent manner, to realize the real basis of our human ways of living, and to establish a general and logical methodology for such a study." As the basis of his logic, the author builds the concepts of 'existing things' and their relationships, and also the ways of describing the whole world, which contains technologies, institutions, and persons. For such a description, he finds the necessity of 'radical enumerative thinking' (i.e., a clearer extension of 'systematic thinking') and expressions of contradictions (i.e., a clear extension of 'problems'). He also extends the logics of dialectics in a much wider meaning. Then he considers the basis of person's recognitions and actions and derives how the person decides them, with a range of consideration (i.e. granularity) and with a logic for solution (i.e., a thinking method). He discusses further basis of the person, i.e., the person's attitudes. (English translation is not ready.)
The index page of the documents related to USIT, conaining the indexes of the following 4 items:.
(A) USIT Manual, (B) USIT Case Studies, (C) USIT Operators, (D) USIT References
Manual of the USIT process has been described in the form of 31 slides along its steps. The USIT process is now fully described by use of the consistent demonstration of a case study and instructions and remarks on the USIT concepts and its thinking process. Examples of USIT usage in the 'Collection of USIT Case Studies' are described along the steps of the 'USIT Manual' so that you can understand USIT fully in its variety of usage. The Manual is posted both in HTML (with images)
The standard methods of problem solving we learn are structured and logical. However, while we are studying them, we often get frustrated with the tediousness of the process interfering with our inventive thinking, he points out. Such a difficulty gradually disappears when we master the method fully and we find ourselves using some shortchts. And "The 'Ah-ha!' ideas always come out of the subconscious. Invention is not done by the conscious, but done by the subconscious", Sickafus says. Since the shortcuts are apparently based on the activities of our sub conscious, we should evaluate them positively. For enhancing the subconsciou activities in our brain, we should choose the form of information to be handed on to the subconscious; instead of specific and logical information, generalized (or purposefully-vague) keywords and images are more suitable as metaphores, he says. -- This paper looks quite unusual at first, but it corresponds to the old saying "Enter the Form, and Leave the Form".
Record of 15 emails of Q&A in relation to Sickafus' recent paper on "Subconscious Problem Solving". Particularly, this includes a new introductory article: "Unification of USIT to One Graphic (OAF) Heuristics", by Ed Sickafus. He explains the definition and usage of the OAF diagram concisely and describes his research motivation towards fundamental principles in problem solving thinking.
A guide to Nakagawa's papers and presentations for 8 months.
Keynote Lecture for 60 minutes at ICSI 2015 at Hong Kong. While showing examples of USIT process, I talked here mostly on the concepts of the 'Six-Box Scheme', which was derived from USIT and forms the new paradigm of 'General Methodology of Creative Problem Solving' (CrePS). This reflects my research history for these 18 years since I first met TRIZ in 1997. 47 pages of slides.
Presented at Japan TRIZ Symposium 2015. Recent development of creative problem solving methods is explained from my viewpoint, i.e., conventional --> TRIZ --> USIT --> CrePS. The 'Six-Box Scheme' (realized first in USIT) can be the new paradigm for integrating TRIZ and many other creative problem solving methods together into the CrePS Methodology. And USIT is a concise process for carrying out CrePS. So in 2015 I made the USIT Manual and A Collection of USIT Case Studies. A seminar class on 'A Large Variety of Writing Instruments: Studying the Evolution of Technology'is illustrated.
Presented at ETRIA TFC 2015. Presentation slides
A series of introductory articles on the Fuda-Yose Tool and its usage jointly authored by Katahira and Nakagawa.
The Fuda-Yose Tool is a software tool for drawing diagrams, using the Microsoft Excel worksheets as the platform, for the purpose of supporting/enhancing user’s Visual Thinking. It was developed by Akihiro Katahira and has been improved recently. The up-to-date version of the Fuda-Yose Tool (in English) (currently version 5.00e) may be downloaded without charge at Katahira’s ‘site
The diagrams are composed of three basic components; i.e., ‘Labels’ (= rectangles holding descriptions of keywords and sentences), ‘Enclosures’ (= round-cornered rectangles with header keywords/sentences for enclosing several Labels), and ‘Lines/Arrows’ (for connecting Labels/Enclosures for showing some relationships). Also the ‘Cells’ (= the original tabular units of Excel worksheets) may be used for containing data. Labels/Enclosures and Cells are interchangeable with a click of a command. Various original Excel functions may be used in the Fuda-Yose Tool and all the diagram elements drawn by the Fuda-Yose Tool can be handled in Excel as usual. Basic ways of using the Tool are explained with illustrations.
Once users understand the basic operation of Fuda-Yose Tool, they can arrange and move around the visual components on the diagram, and may get triggers of various ideas which may help them stimulate, enhance, and deepen their thoughts. Users may use the tool freely in various ways so as to match their own purposes and situations. Such flexible ways of supporting user’s thinking are called here the ‘Fuda-Yose Method’.
Katahira mostly uses the Tool in two types of situations.
(1) In personal situations, for getting triggers of ideas and organizing own thoughts. The process is explained, with particular attention to possible multiple viewpoints in arranging/moving Labels in the diagrams. Two examples of diagrams are shown. The second diagram is to think over ‘what is the Fuda-Yose Method’ repeatedly from time to time.
(2) In a meeting situation, any opinions and comments are recorded in Labels and the Fuda-Yose diagrams are projected on a screen for sharing the discussions among the members. This helps people much to share communication and form common understandings. Four real case studies are shown for (a) forming common understanding, (b) revealing the causes, (c) promoting the understanding, and (d) idea generation for improving the instructions.
Japanese translation of an introductory article by Valeri Souchkov
is posted in
The Six-Box Scheme is a new paradigm of creative problem solving, which I found in 2004 in my study of TRIZ and USIT and I have been promoting activiely in a much more general context since 2012. For the purpose of demonstrating the Six-Box Scheme, I have been trying till recently to make new case studies where various types of problems are solved along the Six-Box Scheme with some methods like USIT. The demonstration has been proceeding only slowly with a limited number of case studies. I now realize, however, that almost all serious intellectual activities and their results can be described properly in the Six-Box Scheme. Thus, I have described my 18 papers, which I published at international/domestic conferences every year since 2000, in the overview format of the Six-Box Scheme. They are shown here together with their Abstracts. The Six-Box Scheme representation plays the role of a template for describing intellectual activities/works, just like the standard format for filing patents. You may understand, I hope, the concept of the Six-Box Scheme, ways of representing works in the Six-Box Scheme overview, and also a history of my work for developing them.
I explain how I have been working as a researcher, initially in physical chemistry and later in informatics, to understand and develope 'Methodology of creative problem solving' (namely, methodology of research and development). I found the Six-Box Scheme as a new paradigm in science and technology. For extending its application to social problems, I chose to work on the problems of poverty in the Japanese society. Underlying people's arguments whether to help the poor, I found the conflict between the emphasis on Liberty and that of Love. Then I realized that Liberty vs. Love is much more basic, and actually is the Principal Contradiction unsolved throughout the history of Human Culture. I have shown here a hypothesis of the Liberty vs. Love Contradiction in its skeletal form.
The idea that there exists a basic conflict (or contradiction) between Liberty and Love is not difficult to understand in itself. You can easily show such examples in our everyday life, in our society, and in the international politics, etc. We have been taught simply, however, "Liberty and Love are both important. So you should respect both of them. They should be compatible." Nobody dared to say clearly "Between Liberty and Love there exists an intrinsic conflict. That is the most basic, Principal Contradiction of Human Culture." The present approach is based the spirit/philosophy of TRIZ, i.e., "Understanding contradictions clearly is the basic way for us to solve the contradictions (or make them compatible)". To understand the real situations and desirable directions concerning to this Principal Contradiction in the fields of humans, organizations, societies, and the world is a huge task for us to work from now on.
Keynote Lecture and Advanced Tutorial presented at Japan TRIZ Symposium in Sept. 2012. English page: Keynote Paper
The author raised Invention Machine Inc. and built the TechOptimizer software
In 2014 he gave a Keynote lecture at MATRIZ TRIZfest conference, with the slides posted here. "Artificial Intelligence is surely going to supercede human brains. It is natural and inevitable. AI will supercede much higher pretty soon. AI techniques will handle not only practical and formalizable jobs (as many people say) but also creative jobs like inventions (in contrary to sayings by many) much better than human brains. As the results of my research for these 20 years, I have already built such a prototype. " he says. His presentation slides are posted here in English and in Japanese translation.
(8) Application case studies
(Jul. 2; Aug. 26, 1999)
In March 1999 I atended at a 3-day USIT Training Seminar conducted by Dr. Ed Sickafus, the original developer of USIT. After the seminar I reported about the USIT process and two case studies I worked (together with a member). I brought in the problem of this case study. After clarifying the problem definition, we analyzed the problem with space and time characteristics analysis. Then we used the Particles Method, a derivative of Altshuller's SLP. Drawing the problem situations and the ideal situations, we think of how the magical Particles would behave to accomplish desirable goals. The USIT process, in particular the Particlis Method, is well demonstrated in this case study. -- Instructive at the early stage of USIT penetration in Japan.
==> USIT Case Study 5. Increase the Foam Ratio of Porous Polymer Sheet (Toru Nakagawa)
(Jul. 31; Aug. 23, 2001)
It was important for us in Japan to understand the USIT procedure through Sickafus' USIT textbook. Among a number of examples in the textbook, we often used 'The Picture Hanging Kit Problem' in our training. So Nakagawa prepared a set of 40 slides for a training seminar and wrote a full explanation of them. On my request Sickafus made some comments on my slides. These descriptions and discussions are illustrative for understanding the USIT process.
==> USIT Case Study 4. Picture Hanging Kit Problem (Toru Nakagawa)
Originally posted in the TRIZ Jouranl, Nov. 2003
==> USIT Case Study 3. Saving Water for a Toilet System (Toru Nakagawa)
Part 5 of Nakagawa's TRIZ Introduction series in the "InterLab". A case study of applying TRIZ/USIT to an everyday-life problem is shown, in reference to Tsubasa Shimoda's Bachellor Thesis, OGU. How to learn TRIZ case studies; Problem definition; Problem analysis (space and time characteristics, objects-attributes-functions, imagine an ideal solution); Solution generation(various known solutions, introducing extra things, modifying needles and strings, noble small tools, how the solution ideas were generated); lessons of this case study.
==> USIT Case Study 1. How to fix a string shorter than the needle (Toru Nakagawa)
Part 13 of Nakagawa's TRIZ Introduction series in the "InterLab".Using a simple everyday-life problem, the whole procedure of problem solving with TRIZ/USIT is demonstrated. (1) Difficulty of binding over 30 sheets of papers with a stapler [Initial setting of the problem; Observing and speculating root causes; Analyzing the lateral play of the stapler arm], (2) Discovery of an unexpected root cause [Observing an unexpected fact; Examining the mechanism to find the root cause; A desirable solution blocked by a contradiction], (3) Solution ideas generated with TRIZ/USIT [Altshuller's Smart Little People (SLP) Modeling; Smart Little People supporting the staple from the inner sides; Interpreting the SLP's ideas in terms of technology], (4) Constructing the solution concepts [Construct the basic mechanism; Design new systems with proactive use of the new idea].
==> USIT Case Study 2. How to prevent a staple from being crashed (Toru Nakagawa)
Earlier version presented at Japan TRIZ Symposium 2007 and Revised version presented at ETRIA TFC 2008, as an extension of Fujita's Bachellor Thesis at OGU. It is a well-known security problem that unauthorized persons can enter the auto-locking entrance door of apartment buildings just by following the preceding residents. Students' discussions were facilitated with TRIZ/USIT to tackle this problem. We found three root causes: the door is closed slowly for safety reasons, residents allow unauthorized persons to enter, and there is no effective social rule to follow when two parties happen to meet at the entrance door. Solution ideas were generated step by step by discussions. A concept of an IT-based logical door system was built to monitor the number of persons who were authorized and also the number who entered. Any group leader has to authenticate himself and to declare the number of accompanied persons whenever the door is open or not. With the new design choice in technology, all the associated psychological and social problems have been solved, hopefully.
Presented at Japan TRIZ Symposium 2008 by Sudo et al. and at Sakata et al. at TRIZCON2009. This case study was obtained at the USIT 2-Day Training Seminar held in March 2008 under the instruction by Nakagawa with multi-company participation of engineers. Carrying two young children on a bicycle is currently prohibited by Road Traffic Law in Japan. In response to strong requests from mothers, however, National Police Agency has recently shown an intention of permitting it if some safe bicycles are developed. Hearing the news we tried this case study by using USIT. USIT was applied in the 2-day group practice and the results were further refined later through email discussions. A new conceptual solution was obtained: a child seat in front of the parent is fixed to the bicycle body (i.e., free from being moved by the steering) and yet the parent's leg space t is kept wide by separating the steering shaft from the front-wheel fork shaft with a linkage.
Here I have written down my recent experiences that by drawing a diagram we realized some important findings. In relation to the USIT case study of "A Mom's Bicycle for Safely Carrying Two Children", I have written the following topics: (1) Effect of the height of children's seats: front view figure at the critical timing of falling over. (2) Image of an Ideal system: a figure where no concrete things are drawn. (3) Functional diagram of a mom's bicycle carrying two children: strength of simpler and clearer diagrams. (4) Solution concepts coming from the Functional diagrams. (5) Separating the parent far from the front wheel: Separation of the handlebar shaft and the front fork shaft, carrying two children in front of the parent. These cases are described with the patterns of: Problem situations, Guideline of the method, Former/conventional drawings, New drawings, New findings from the new drawings, and Lessons learnt. These articles also serve to record know-hows of USIT.
Presented at Japan TRIZ Symposium 2008 by a 7membered working group of MPUF （Microsoft Project Users Forum） USIT／TRIZ Study Group. The working group, composed of voluntary engineers coming from different companies, worked to apply USIT to a real problem by about 20 times off-line meetings. The problem is 'how to fold the wet compact umbrella easily'. By virtue of rich backgrounds of members, they applied USIT and other methods, including QFD and TOC, together to the problem and also generated a lot of ideas stimulated with various products and techniques. They have demonstrated several interesting prototype models of novel 'compact umbrella' at the Poster Session, attracting much attention by the participants. -- Their solutions tend to be unique and not practical to be adapted in the current system, in Nakagawa's feeling.
Presented at Japan TRIZ Symposium 2009 and ETRIA TFC 2009, as an extension of my students' thesis works. Cords and cables often cause troubles by getting complex and entangled. Instead of trying to find some specific solutions to this common widely-spread problem, we thought it worthwhile to collect many known solutions and to systematize them. We collected various solution examples and then tried to classify them in terms of their functions. A system of solutions was achieved by a bottom-up classification; however, it was not found convincing, so we needed a more systematic approach. Introduction and extension of the scope of system was found useful. The scopes of (A) a single cord/cable, (B) multiple cords/cables, (C) connecting parts between cords/cables and devices, and (D) the whole system with cords/cables and devices were considered step by step. This approach has provided a consistent system of known solutions, and has given us some clews to think further ahead.
Presented at Japan TRIZ Symposium 2010 by Nakatani and at ETRIA TFC 2010 by Nakagawa. This work was achieved by 10-membered seminar class of 2nd year students at OGU. The class was designed to study basic TRIZ concepts without using TRIZ terms nor TRIZ tools. Nakagawa gave no lectures but questions and tasks to the students, and the students answered them, made exercises and a report together. The studentss surveyed a large variety of writing instruments and classified them with respect to their writing mechanisms. They also listed up various needs/usages of them and evaluated different writing mechanisms with respect to their usages. These examples demonstrates how technical things evolve towards better and better in various aspects. This way of learning would be applicable to even younger students (of age over 10).
Presented at Japan TRIZ Symposium 2008. This is an excellent case study paper which reports on the development of a duplex printing machine 'RICOH Satelio Duo 8' with the help of TRIZ and USIT. The digital duplicator uses the mimeography, which uses the pseudo drying of printer ink due to penetration into the paper fibers. Thus the paper having printed fresh on a side can not be printed on the other side without making the printer roller dirty. This problem has long made a dual printer impossible. On learning basic TRIZ, the Author got the idea of using only one printer drum for printing the both sides and challenged the development of the dual printer. After various trials, the SLP modeling helped to solve the dirty-ink problem by developing a beads-roller. Author also learned USIT later and used it for solving many subsequent problems. The new dual printing machine thus developed with relatively simple modifications has doubled the throughput.
Originally presented at 36th All Japan VE Conference 2003 by the group of R&D Center, East-Japan Railway. TRIZ' 9-window method and Trends of Evolution concepts are used together with the VE method. Future 10-year vision of confortable toilet space has been developed for JR's famous bullet train 'Shinkansen'. This demonstrates a new TRIZ-based method for developing products with clear future visions.
The 6th article in the TRIZ Special Issue of the JSA's monthly journal,"Standardization and Quality Control" (Feb. 2003). This work was originally presented in Nov. 2003 at Japan VE Association Conference, and its slides were posted in this site on Jan. 28, 2004
'All-Japan Manufacturing Industry Koma Taisen (Spintop battles)' was first held in Feb. 2012 and second in Feb. 2013. See
This paper explain the processes of considering various contradictions in the design and examining different design prototypes by use of Taguchi method and simulations. The SWCN's koma (named 'cat's punch') was extraordinary in its shape; just after turning, the koma opens its 3 arms for hitting out the competitor, and it won the second place at the Second All-Japan Koma Taisen.
Case studies published so far in different places are collected here, and are shown in a table. Individual case studies are described in full extent in a consistent format according to the USIT Manual
No. Features
SewingHow to fix a string shorter than the needle
Whole USIT Process is well illustrated for a familiar problem
Toru Nakagawa
StaplerHow to prevent a staple from being crashed
A familiar problem was solved by finding the real root cause and by using the SLP method
Toru Nakagawa
ToiletSaving Water for a Toilet System
Example of catching big problem in daily life as physical contradiction, and solution
Toru Nakagawa
PicturePicture Hanging Kit Problem
A standard USIT Case Study on a familiar problem, easy to understand for everybody and yet deep in thoughts
Toru Nakagawa
PorousIncrease the Foam Ratio of Porous Polymer Sheet
A real problem in the field of chemical engineering is solved with the Particles Method
Toru Nakagawa
This Keynote (having 110 slides) contains detailed figures of scientific instruments for high-energy physics. Though it may be difficult to understand the background physics, the essential points of discussion are described clearly and plainly for people having interest in science in general. E.g., be careful (and needs methodology) in the prediction of future, evaluate different research directions not only for fundamental knowledge but also for usefulness and the costs.
Author's insights of using TRIZ are deep. In explaining Inventive Principle 35 'Parameter change', he demonstrates (in place of simple parameters volume V and surface area S) the ratio V/S inspires us much more while changing the parameter value. He also mentions that Cloud chamber and Bubble chamber, both for detecting high-energy particles, are an example of TRIZ concept of 'System and Anti-system' and that if scientists were familiar with the concept, Bubble chamber could have been invented much earlier. 'Transition to super-system' is also an important TRIZ concept in understanding the evolution of systems. New methods/tools are implemented as a system by assembling many components, and then they become useful only when working as a part of larger systems (i.e., super-system) for social, business, technical, etc. purposes.
"TRIZ can be very useful for science, as an inspiration, as a very efficient toolbox, as a way to connect different disciplines, as a new way to see the world" -- This is the conclusion by Professor Seryi.
(9) Mastering and practicing TRIZ
Originally presented at 4th IM User Group Meeting in Japan held by MRI. Yamaguchi, being in the position responsible for technolgoy process innovation in PCC, definitely found the usefulness of TRIZ and started and led the installation/application of TRIZ for these two years. TRIZ has been applied to a large number of products already. Case study of an electronic whiteboard is described in detail. Discussion at the presentation session was taken note by Toshio Ooura (NEC) and is really exciting to read.
Presented at Knowledge Creation Symposium 2004 held by MRI. Six essentials in practicing TRIZ: (1) Clearly defined target; (2) in-house group capable to discuss on TRIZ seriously; (3) struggling with real problems; (4) producing our own successful cases; (5) improving the methodology further and further; (6) strong mind not to give up. -- An impressive presentation by the young leader of the in-house TRIZ promotion group of PCC.
Presented at Japan TRIZ Symposium 2007. This case study, presented from Panasonic Communications Co., is very impressive in many points: (1) achieving to solve a big problem in a short time by generating many solution ideas, (2) deriving effective measures, (3) executing many measures at once, etc. In the photos of the slides we can see that people seriously got involved in this project and had experienced the change in their mind. This is also an excellent case study for stepping up the TQC style activities into much elaborated one with the philosophy of TRIZ.
The USIT 2-Day (or 3-Day) Training Seminars have been carried out by the present author 20 times so far. Practices and principles of the training are described here in detail. 15 to 25 engineers (may mostly be novices of TRIZ/USIT) take part in the training and try to solve three real problems in group practices by following the USIT procedure. In addition to in-house training in industries, the training has been re-started in an open way with the participation of people coming from multiple companies. Some practical and easy-yet-effective ways of applying USIT are described for the seminar graduates.
Originally posted here in Japanese and later presented at TRIZCON2006. A detailed and vivid report of problem solving at the 2-Day USIT Training Seminar conducted by the present author in September 2005 in a multi-company situation. A group of three engineers of different companies and two graduate students worked on this case. Images of the 10 big sheets of paper generated by the group are shown and the processes of such generation are described. This is a problem for planning/designing a new product, related to processes of time change, in the field of both software and hardware, and necessary to build up a whole solution concept; USIT has been applied smoothly in such a problem.
Presented at Japan TRIZ Symposium 2007. Hitach group has been promoting TRIZ in a company wide scale since 1997. For making TRIZ easy to access for engineers working in the field of HDD (Hard Disk Drive), the Authors made a table of converting technical terms in HDD into the Contradiction Matrix parameters and listed application examples in HDD area in correspondence to 40 Inventive Principles. The paper demonstrates two interesting case studies of applying TRIZ: A hardware error recovery mechanism using low RPM operation, and a new design in an actuator mechanism.
Presented at Japan TRIZ Symposium 2007. The two authors are working to penetrate TRIZ in the SMEs and in students in Sendai City and Miyagi Prefecture. They made a set of Playing Cards of TRIZ 40 Principles for idea generation, with the design to be attractive for young engineers. Thier poster presentation attracted and stimulated a large number of visitors.
Presented at Japan TRIZ Symposium 2008. Koganei Co. is a manufacturer of aero pneumatic equipments, having about 800 employees. Under the severe competitive situations, the Authors were convinced 2 years ago with the needs of innovating their product development process. Thus the Authors started to introduce and apply the set of QFD, TRIZ and TM (Taguchi Method) to their three pilot projects. It is interesting that the company requested only one consultant to guide the team in all the three methods. The users, not the consultant, reported their current activities and achievements vividly. Only 4 slides are translated into English from the 28 slides in Japanese.
The Authors introduced TRIZ together with QFD and TM and applied them to the real project of developing a new product, i.e. a high-speed response pneumatic air valve. They have tried to capture real voices of customers with QFD. The technical problems thus assigned were challenged by the Authors with TRIZ. Some of the new solution concepts obtained with TRIZ were beyond their experiences and expertise. Thus for minimizing the risks in the new product development, they applied TM (Taguchi Method) in designing the test parameters and used CAD/CAE software for the simulation testing of various design choices. The report describes details of the newly developed product, in its performance, inner structure, cases of applications, etc.
Invited lecture presented at Jpana TRIZ Symposium 2010. During 2001-2007 at Panasonic Communications Co.,, the Author promoted the company-wide introduction and application of 'scientific methods' for product development. He recommends four methods, i.e., QFD, TRIZ, Taguchi Method, and CAE/CAD/CAM, together instead of TRIZ alone, saying "Application of TRIZ is effective because we apply it to the right targets and right problems revealed by QFD at the preceding stage; and we are safe in generating new and creative solution concepts because we have Taguchi Method and CAE, etc. at the subsequent stage." He says these scientific methods are tools for gaining profit, business operation itself, and management itself!. -- This lecture gives us very clear and powerful messages on the basis of his clear understandoing of the methodologies.
On the retirement of OGU, I wrote an overview of my activities for the 14 years at OGU (from Apr. 1998 to Mar. 2012) and published it in "The Bulletin of the Cultural and Natural Sciences in OGU", March 2012 Issue. The core of my working activities has been the research on TRIZ and USIT. Attending and presenting at international conferences on TRIZ every year, I extended USIT (i.e. a unified and simplified TRIZ) further to find a new paradigm called 'Six-Box Scheme' for creative problem solving. I have been teaching on this theme in a lecture class and also in 3rd and 4th year seminars ( besides several other classes on ordinary information science), resulting in several successful case studies of solving familiar problems. I have been working also for the promotion of penetration of TRIZ and USIT. Establishing a public Web site "TRIZ Home Page in Japan", organizing Japan TRIZ Society, and operating 'TRIZ Symposium in Japan' annually are my main activities for social promotion of methodologies of creative problem solving. -- I am grateful to all the people who have been supporting me for these years.
Presented at Panel Discussion of Malaysia TRIZ Conference 2012 held on Nov. 6 - 9, 2012. For the 3 questions asked beforehand, I made 5 slides for the talk and wrote the talk down later. (Q1) How to nurture and develop creative (innovative) talent? --> 'Creative power' = 'Creativity' × 'Continuing efforts'. And 'creativity' may contain some types of attitudes, minds, capabilities, ways of thinking, etc. Different types of creativity urge different ways of nurturing. (Q2) When and how did you get interested in innovation science? --> I happened to encounter TRIZ in 1997 at a seminar. There were backgrounds for me to get interested in it. ... (Q3) Do you think school education limits the growth of students' creativity? --> It depends. Teaching a student to be creative or not is just the accumulation of positive and negative responses by the teacher (and parents and others) in various occasions of student's action and thinking for many years. ... The page is a record of my thoughts on these delicate questions.
Presented at Japan TRIZ Symposium 2012. The Author devised hand-script symbols of TRIZ 40 Principles by arranging the style of the principle number to represent the meaning of the principle, in order to make it easy to remember the principles and their numbers in pairs. By using them repeatedly, one can remember the principles by heart and can use, say, the Contradiction Matrix fluently and take notes of principles coming out in mind while reading technical documents, he says.
Presented at Japan TRIZ Symposium 2014. Responding to the TRIZ users' apparent/hidden needs, the author tries to make TRIZ inexpensive and ubiquitous, with the slogan of "Anyone can use TRIZ anywhere anytime." He presents 10 examples of such solutions: Smart phone version of 40 Inventive principles (1 screen/principle); 40 Inventive principles adapted for the IT/software field; understanding various other methods in relation to TRIZ (e.g., Osborne's Checklist, NM method (by Masakazu Nakayama), Wai-gaya meeting at Honda, Goal deployment, QC story approach, etc.).
A crucial key to the success of TRIZ practice is to adopt the approach and tools which fit well with the needs and intentions of the TRIZ users, especially TRIZ beginners. The author reviewed their 250 projects carried out in DENSO and characterized them with 3 types of needs (i.e., Want many ideas, Want a good solution, and Want to reconsider from the root) and with 2 types of intentions (i.e., Out of vs. Within the present constraints). For each category of 3x2, the authors examined the TRIZ tools applied, and have summarized the TRIZ tools recommendable in each of the 3x2 categories of beginners' needs and intentions.
In the areas of 'Utility engines' for example, some standard products have been delivered for decades without much change, because of no change in the requirements for basic usage as the power supply in the working machines for agriculture, forestry, etc. Isn't there any room for applying TRIZ? The key is to find the 'sales points' which can convince the target users, i.e., the person in charge of selecting the engine in the working machine manufacturer. Thus one should think of various functions and features as the 'sales points' by using some idea generation methods. This is the 'Theme definition' stage in the problem solving process. Then TRIZ will help to generate some methods for realizing the functions/features.
The 8 engineers of IP Creation Study Group discussed freely about what they should work on next. And they decided 'The aged and their relevant people live a happy life' as the top purpose (or vision) and 'The aged people solve the problems of their own and others' as the target (or goal). In more concrete words, they recognize the problem 'The researchers and engineers around their retirement age want to live a life with some good motivation', and wish to have solutions towards 'For achieving their own visions, the aged people solve their own problems as well as others' problems'. The present paper is their first report.
Visual Thinking method and its tool 'Fuda-Yose' were developed by Akihoro Katahira
I asked Katahira to show how to convert a (short) document into labels automatically and make 'Fuda-Yose diagrams. Katahira demonstrated the method step by step by using Nakagawa's request message. The final 'Fuda-Yose' diagram clearly shows the intentions of Nakagawa's request and corresponding answers by Katahira.
Katahira has demonstrated to visualize the logic of Ed Sickafus' recent paper (in the Japanese version) with his Fuda-Yose method. All the sentences of the whole paper are made into labels and their logical relationships are shown in 'Fuda-Yose' diagrams section by section. While reviewing them, I thought that for clarifying the logic of a compact document like the Abstract we should decompose some sentences further into their logical units. So I applied the Fuda-Yose method to the Abstract in 4 steps and the diagrams are posted. The essence of Sickafus' paper is shown clearly in the visualized diagram.
The TRIZ research group of University of Bergamo educated students of Master courses with the TRIZ methodology, and worked to spread TRIZ in the SME prevailing industrial community. Typical models of promoting TRIZ are based on success stories in big enterprises. In Italy, however, big companies (with over 250 employees) are very few (0.1%) while very small companies (with less than 10 employees) are prevailing (95%). Thus the Authors built a new model of responding to the demands of SMEs first in collaboration with Bergamo Chamber of Commerce. Under a long term strategy, they provided services of teaching, training, and consulting the owners and engineers of SMEs on the topic of Intellectual Properties first and TRIZ later. In 9 years they have achieved remarkable results.
Introductions of all the 50 papers presented at ETRI TFC2016 are posted here in English. Each paper is introduced in 1 to 4 pages (in A4) using authors slides. They are categorized according to their topics.
A. Methodology of TRIZ (6 Papers)
B. Integral Use of TRIZ with Relevant Methods (11 Papers)
C. Case Studies in Industries (9 Papers)
D. Promotion of TRIZ in Industries (5 Papers)
E. Usage of TRIZ in Education and in Academia (5 Papers)
F. Patent Studies (1 Paper)
G. Applications to Soft & Non-technical Areas (7 Papers)
Research and dissemination of TRIZ in China have been developed recently in a surprising speed and extent, reported at TRIZCON2017. 'National Engineering Research Center for Technological Innovation Method and Tool, Hebei University of Technology (Tianjin, China)' is led by Prof. Runhua Tan, having about 80 faculty members, about 20 PhD students, and about 80 postgraduate students, and is devoted to research, education, and dissemination of methodologies and tools for technological innovation with TRIZ at its core. China seems to have several more similar research centers, under strong supports by national and regional governments.
This paper introduces an overview of C-TRIZ (Chinese version of extended TRIZ) developed by the Center. They have been actively disseminating C-TRIZ into industries by using MEOTM (Mass-Engineer Oriented Training Model). The trainings last for half a year or full year (mostly using weekends) with lessons and real practices. Every engineer has to bring in an 'inventive problem' related to his/her own job or company, and during the training course he/she has to solve the problem in order to be certified as an 'innovative engineer'. From 2013 till 2016, the center carried out 40 training classes, covering 721 companies, with 3173 participating engineers in total, and produced 1471 certified engineers, they report.
This article summarizes my present understandings on the (extremely big) theme shown above, briefly in a page of A4. PDF
(10) Questions and discussions
(Last update: Nov. 27, 2014)
Communications which I received from Readers and are suitable for open discussions are posted in the pages of "Letters from Readers". Such pages both in English and in Japanese are indexed here since 2013. Older pages may be found in the 'General Index' page.
The issue is raised by a prominent professor: Academia has been carrying out a huge number of advanced researches. But there is no common understanding of ‘How to achieve Creative Research’ in the Academia, and such achievements have been obtained without any relation to the methods like TRIZ. Thus the methodologies like TRIZ and CrePS seem to have very little relevance/significance with the methods for promoting academic researches.
--- Nakagawa responded: It is a pity that the methodology like TRIZ/CrePS has rarely penetrated into the academia. It seems quite strange to me that the academia has not obtained a common and general understanding about ‘How to do Creative Research’. We should first consider for what types of purposes we need such a method. :
(a) To think over the future grand directions for research themes in the scope covering various research fields.
(b) In a research field, to think over on what research theme to work.
(c) For a research theme, to think over what should be really revealed and solved.
(d) For a research theme, to think what is the barrier making the revealing/solving difficult and how to break it through.
(e) For individual tasks in a research theme, to think of the methods of research, experiments, and equipment design, etc.
(f) For problems and tasks in further detail, to think how to solve them one by one.
I think that the representation of the Six-box Scheme of CrePS
(11) Other materials of references
Originally written in May 1997 at Fujutsu Labs. for an internal Web site. An essay for Japanese readers.
Published in "Communications of Osaka Gakuin University", Vol. 41, No. 7 (2010). In Feb. 2002, I posted a lecture note "How to Write a Report", as a part of my class of "Creative Problem Solving Methodologies". It describes how to prepare for and write a report, in a top-down manner. A manager of a prefectural nurse association happened to hit this article and invited me to give a full 2-day training seminar on this topic to 50 nurse managers. It was a new experience for me. I wrote "Practical guidelines for writing documents", describing advices at different levels of words/phrases, sentence, sentence connection, paragraph, section/chapter, and the whole document. In addition I made a one-page summary in a illustrative manner as a sample preferably used in industries. All these parts are published in a University magazine and then posted in this site.
(12) Effective Use of This Site
This site "TRIZ Home Page in Japan" is very rich and up-to-date information source for learning TRIZ. For the effective use of this site, please refer to the Entry Page for Practitioners: (1) Full use of the present site and (2) TRIZ references, links, and software tools.
Try to use the following alternative retrieval methods depending on what sort of pages you want:
(a) Top Page (for New Information (with introductions) within 6 months),
(b) Four Entrance Pages (for Children, for Students, for Engineers, and for Practitioners),
(c) Categorized General Index Pages (Editorial, References, Papers, Forum),
(d) New Information accumulated (for all the pages listed in the chronological order since 1998)
(e) Any relevant pages (use the links in the texts and in the link tables), and
(f) Site Search with Keywords
Last updated on Jan. 10, 2019 Access point: Editor: nakagawa@ogu.ac.jp
