20. ANALOGY SPRINGBOARD
* Many of the best ideas in the world came from analogy – observing a phenomenon in one area of life and applying that idea to a totally different problem.
* The idea for Velcro arose when the inventor, Swiss engineer George de Mestral, took his dog for a walk and noticed how burrs (seeds) of the plant burdock stuck to the dog’s fur. He replicated the idea to invent the product.
* Clarence Birdseye was on holiday in Canada when he saw some salmon that had naturally frozen in ice and then thawed. When cooked, they tasted completely fresh. This was the origin of the frozen food industry.
* An English designer called Cawardine approached the firm Herbert Terry in the 1930s proposing a desk light using the principles of the joints in the human arm. The Anglepoise light was born.
* Nature is one source, but there are analogies all around us.
* This is something of a freewheeling technique, and the possible sources of inspiration are effectively endless.
EXERCISE: Think of suitable stimulus with which to draw analogies to your brief. This could be as simple as thoroughly scrutinising all the objects in a room. If necessary, combine with the Picture Platforms or Random Words techniques in 15 and 16. Capture all the lateral thoughts generated.
