"You have to think outside the box." This common statement doesn't help us be creative. We need to know more. How far outside the box? And how do you get there?
You have to think just outside the box--one or two steps. Here is an example and a method for getting to that sweet spot just beyond the common features to the obscure ones.
You have to think just outside the box--one or two steps. Here is an example and a method for getting to that sweet spot just beyond the common features to the obscure ones.
Inside the box above are a few of the common features of a candle. Being motionless is a commonly overlooked (i.e., obscure) feature and thus ideal for grounding new candle designs. But how do you get just outside the box to the obscure features? One way is to examine the 50 types of features that all objects could possess. In this way, both the common and obscure features will become apparent. See the blog entry 50 Viewing Lenses to learn the specifics and see one of our candle-in-motion designs, the self-snuffing candle, produced by this method.