Reduce Reuse Create Innovate

January 18, 2024

The Art of Applied Visual Thinking

The official newsletter of Applied Visual Thinking SUPERHEROES. Vol. 5 No. 2

January 5, 2024

This year I'm on a quest to become more active. I admit that I have Peloton envy but have I talked myself out of spending thousands of bucks for a fancy high tech bike. Instead I challenged myself to reduce my consumerism, reuse what I had on hand and innovate to get the feel of biking outside with friends.

Drawing with a stationary bike cell phone, box, tape, scissors and lightbulb. Across the lightbulb is written the word innovation.

I started looking around to see how I might do that and use what I've learned about Innovation from my amazing business partner Sheri Kennedy and the idea generation tool SCAMPER* we practice in the AVT for Innovation course.

To begin, I decided to use my old-school stationary bike. It doesn't hook up to Wi-FI or have any fancy technology but it's quiet and comfortable to ride and something I already had. Score 1 for the home team. Next I needed to figure out the tech piece. I looked no further than the tiny super computer I carry around with me all the time, also known as my smart phone. It's great for streaming video and something I already had. Score another point for the home team. These are two examples of SCAMPER innovation principle "Put to another use."

Next I had to determine how to set up the smart phone on a stationary bike so that it was at a comfortable viewing angle. I did an internet search and found a small shelf I could buy that would attach to my old stationary bike. However, I again challenged myself to see if I could use what I had on hand. Cue SCAMPER innovation principle "Adapt."

Using the design of the shelf I found on the internet as a starting point, I considered how I might make something similar with materials I had on hand. I wanted something sturdy and rigid that I could easily cut and put together for a prototype. I stumbled across some thick mat board I had been given. It was perfect. Score another point for the home team.

Next up was the design step. Time for visual thinking.

I needed an upside down box with a backboard to lean the phone against. Seemed simple enough. I measured where the shelf needed to sit and drew up a simple plan. Then I cut the mat board into pieces. Since this was an early prototype I stuck them together with cellophane tape. It was just sturdy enough to hold together for a short test run.

Design Challenge #1 – While the prototype fit on the bike and held my phone, the angle of the screen was not right for comfortable viewing. Back to the drawing board.

Time for SCAMPER innovation principle "Modify." I considered how I could use the pieces of mat board I had already cut. I discovered that adding an "L" shaped piece of tag board would fix this view angle issue. One of the leftover pieces of tag board was just about the right size. I scored and folded it into an "L" shape, attached it with cellophane tape and took it for another test run.

Design Challenge #2 – Although the view angle was improved, the phone was now sitting very close to the edge of the shelf and could easily be knocked off.

Time to apply the SCAMPER innovation principle "Modify" again. Affixing a flat strip of tag board to the front of the box to create a small lip was just the thing. The phone was at the correct viewing angle and would not easily slip off the shelf. Yippee! Problems solved (or so I thought). I pulled out some duct tape and taped everything together to make a nice sturdy box, then I took it for another test run.

Design Challenge #3 – The box fit well, the view angle was comfortable and the phone was secure. However, the prototype had multiple distracting colors clearly within view.

Time for one more innovation using the SCAMPER innovation principle "Eliminate." To eliminate the distracting colors, the prototype needed to be more uniform. I could have painted the first prototype or gotten some black tag board and made a new one. In the end, I decided to add another layer of black duct tape to cover everything.

Problems solved – the viewing angle was comfortable, the phone was secure and no more distracting colors. I also had an innovation bonus – the box is now extra sturdy, and will probably last for years. What was intended to be a prototype is now my long term solution. (Another application of the SCAMPER innovation principle "Eliminate" or "Put to another use.")

Did I meet by my goals of reducing my consumerism, reusing what I had on hand and innovating to get the feel of biking outside with friends? 100%. Is it a bit of a Frankenstein's monster? 100%. Does it do the job? 100%. Did it save me thousands of dollars? 100%. Did I have fun making it? 100%.

That's Innovation for the WIN - WIN - WIN - WIN.

diagram of the SCAMPER tool: Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify, Put to another use, Eliminate, Reverse

*SCAMPER is an idea generation tool. The letters stand for Substitute. Combine. Adapt. Modify. Put to another use. Eliminate. Reverse.

These concepts are attributed to Alex Osborn, best known as the inventor of "brainstorming." Bob Eberle developed the easy to remember mnemonic "SCAMPER."

Learn to Innovate

Check out the full INNOVATION course to…

Learn core principles of creativity and innovation
Expand your visual vocabulary and visual hierarchy skills
Gain hands on experience generating lots of ideas and using visual innovation tools such as our fun origami tool for idea generation
Develop confidence with our elemental innovation process
Build fluency leading a visual innovation process live with a team
Learn to Apply Your Visual Thinking SUPERPOWER to INNOVATION