1. What is “morphological analysis”?
Morphological Analysis was developed by Fritz Zwicky (the Swiss astrophysicist and
aerospace scientist based at the California Institute of Technology) in the 1940's and 50's as
a method for systematically structuring and investigating the total set of relationships
contained in multi-dimensional, usually non-quantifiable, problem complexes.
It aims to generate new ideas about a new product development or improvement, but it also
can generate solutions for a possible problem. It is an extension of Attribute Listing.
Imagine you have a product that could be made of 3 types of material, in 6 possible shapes,
and with 4 kinds of mechanism. Theoretically there are 72 (3x6x4) potential combinations
of material, shape and mechanism. Some of these combinations may already exist; others
may be impossible or impractical. Those left over may represent prospective new products.
This method of can be extended to virtually any problem area that can be structured
dimensionally.
Idea Box is a Morphological Analysis technique originally developed by Zwicky and
variations described by Arthur VanGundy and Michael Michalko and is defined in detail in
his book “Thinkertoys” and VanGundy's book, “Techniques of Structured Problem
Solving” [1].
The Idea box is a way of automatically combining parameters of a challenge into new
ideas. You choose the number of the parameters for the challenge, generate parameters and
list variations for each parameter. By combining up with different combinations of the
variations of the parameters, you can create new ideas [3]. The box is a matrix where you
put in all parameters, so that you can have a clear view of them and make all possible
combination (see case study for example).
The benefit of morphological analysis is that it breaks down problems or issues into
smaller elements. For example a car showroom consists of cars, salves area, service area,
mechanics, spare parts, tools, customers, and a coffee area and so on. These in turn can be
further sub-divided into even smaller elements. Thus, there are different types of
customers, tools, etc. In that way morphological analysis encourages participants to build
relationships between elements that they may not have thought of previously [2]. It can be
used as a problem solving and as an idea generation technique. This method is also a
product improvement technique, permitting the in-depth analysis of products or processes
[5].
The difficulty of this technique is the large number of ideas deriving of the multiple
combinations that can be made [5]. If the parameters are many and each of them has many
variations then many combinations will occur making it very complex to check all the
box’s possible combinations.
It is mostly used as an individual technique but it can also be used as a team technique.
Managers of all kinds, general staff, artists and every employee of every level of an
organization’s hierarchy can use and benefit from this technique. It can be of great
usefulness for New Product Development, Marketing, Creative and Design Departments.
2. How it is implemented?
Morphological analysis general procedure is described below:
Step1. List all major elements involved in the issue or problem. The facilitator writes them
up across the top of a flip chart or whiteboard.
Step2. Each sub-element is then listed under each element.
Step3. The facilitator asks the participants to start combining the sub-elements together to
try to ascertain some novel ideas. These ideas may be ridiculous or impractical but can be
developed or refined at a later stage. It is important, therefore, to suspend all judgment.
Step4. Step 3 should be repeated until a sufficient number of ideas have been generated.
Step5. The ideas can then be discussed developed or refined in order to acquire a novel
solution [2].
Idea box is a morphological analysis technique as stated above. There are specific steps to
follow in order to implement the tool:
Step1. Specify your challenge.
Step2. Select the parameters of your challenge. To determine whether a parameter is
important enough to add ask yourself “Would the challenge still exist without the
parameter I’m considering adding to the box?”
Step3. List variations. Below each parameter, list as many variations as you wish for that
parameter. The number of parameters and variations will determine the box’s complexity.
Generally, it is easier to find new ideas within a simple framework than a complex one. For
instance, a box with ten parameters, each of which has ten variations, produces 10 billion
potential combinations.
Step4. Try different combinations. When the box is finished, make random runs through
the parameters and variations, selecting one or more from each column and then combine
them into entirely new forms. You can examine all combinations in the box to see how they
affect your challenge. If you are working with a box that contains many parameters, you
may find it helpful to randomly examine the entire box and then gradually restrict yourself
to portions that appear particularly faithful. It is like hunting stars in a box [3].
3. What are the success factors? (Do/ Do not)
If you want to successfully implement the idea box then you should pay attention to the
following tips:
Use a flipchart to design the box/ matrix you are going to use for the procedure.
Write down your challenge, product or problem so that you can keep it clear [3].
To determine whether a parameter is important enough to add ask yourself
“Would the challenge still exist without the parameter I’m considering adding to
the box?” [3]
It is easier to find new ideas within a simple box/ framework than a complex
one. For instance, a box with ten parameters, each of which has ten variations,
produces 10 billion potential combinations. So try to keep it as simple as
possible to better satisfy your goal [3].
If you are working with a box that contains many parameters, you may find it
helpful to randomly examine the entire box and then gradually restrict yourself
to portions that appear particularly faithful. It is like hunting stars in a box [3].
If you have a problem to solve then state the problem and represent the
parameters with factors, characteristics of the problem. Then list variations of
each parameter and make combinations in order to generate possible solutions.
In practice, the box may be incomplete, a critical parameter or variation may not
have been included. When you feel this may be the case, you should reconsider
and adjust the parameters or variations accordingly [3].
4. Case Study: “New laundry hamper” [3]
Situation: I am a marketing director for a company that produces laundry hampers. The
market has matured and the company needs a new design to capture the customer’s
imagination. My challenge is: “In what ways might I improve the design of laundry
hampers?”
Description: I analyze laundry hampers and list their basic parameters. I decide to work
with four parameters [material, shape, finish and position] and plan to use five variations
for each.
Idea box: I construct my box with the parameters on top, leaving five boxes beneath each
parameter for the variations. To generate the variations, I ask myself:
What materials could be used to make hampers?
What shapes can hampers be made in?
What finishes can be used on hampers?
What are the positions for hampers?
Improve design for laundry hamper
Material Shape Finish Position
1 Wicker Square Natural Sits on floor
2 Plastic Cylindrical Painted On ceiling
3 Paper Rectangle Clear On wall
4 Metal Hexagonal Luminous Chute to basement
5 Net Material Cube Neon On door
Under each heading I list five alternatives.
Idea search: The next step is to randomly choose one or more variations and connect them
to create new possibilities. These random combinations may trigger new ideas or potential
solutions.
After making any random runs through the box, one combination of variations for the
parameters provoked an idea for a new design.
The idea: Using the random combination of net material, cylindrical, painted and
positioned on the door, I came up with a laundry hamper fashioned into a basketball-type
net, approximately 40 inches long, attached to a cylindrical hoop and hung on a backboard
that is attached to a door. This allows kids to play basketball with dirty laundry as they fill
the hamper. When it is full, a tug on a drawstring releases the clothes.
Five alternatives for each parameter generate a possible 3.125 different combinations. If
only 10 percent prove useful, that would mean 312 new ideas. In theory, a perfectly
constructed Idea Box contains all of the possible solutions to a specified challenge. In
practice, the box may be incomplete, a critical parameter or variation may not have been
included. When you feel this may be the case, you should reconsider and adjust the
parameters or variations accordingly.
New ideas and inventions are merely new combinations of existing bits and pieces. The
Idea Box snaps existing information together into provocative new patterns, and the ideas
appear, almost by accident, out of nowhere. When the ideas appear, you’ll grin like a kid
who has caught his first fish [3].
5. List of References
Articles/Studies:
[2] McFadzean, E.S. [2002], “Developing and supporting creative problem solving teams:
part 1 –a conceptual model.” Management Decision, 40 [5], pp. 463-475
[5] Higgins, J.M. [1996], “Innovate or evaporate: creative techniques for strategists”, Long
Range Planning, Vol. 29, No. 3, pp. 370-380.
Books:
[3] Thinkertoys: A handbook of creative-thinking techniques by Michael Michalko, Second
Edition, Ten Speed Press, 2006, Toronto
Web sites:
[1] http://www.mycoted.com/Morphological_Analysis
[4] http://www.mycoted.com/Idea_Box
6. Glossary
Parameter: characteristic, factor, variable or aspect
Stars: best combination, most beneficial combination of variations according to your stated
challenge
Variations: variables of the parameter. For example, if “shape” is the parameter, then
variations could be: “square”, “rectangle”, “cube”, “triangle”, etc.
7. Keywords
Creativity, creative, morphological analysis, idea box, creativity technique, creativity tool.
8. Questions
1) Morphological analysis is:
a. an individual technique
b. a team technique
c. both individual and team technique
Answer: c
2) Morphological analysis is an extension of attribute listing. True / false
Answer: True
3) The benefit of the technique is that:
a. it synthesizes smaller elements into issues.
b. it splits a large issue into smaller elements
Answer: a
4) Following the steps of the Idea Box technique, after you have selected parameters and
listed variations, you have finished the box:
a. then the technique has finished too.
b. then you have to make random runs through the parameters and variations in
order to produce new ideas
c. then you have to make random runs through the parameters and variations to
produce new ideas and then evaluate them.
Answer: c
5) Describe the Idea Box technique’s steps in brief.
6) What is the difficulty or limitation that morphological analysis or Idea Box has as
creativity techniques? How can you solve this difficulty?
