Watch: The Story of Genrich Altshuller - A short documentary on TRIZ’s creator
Leningrad, 1946. In a cramped apartment still bearing scars from the siege, a young naval officer named Genrich Altshuller pored over stacks of patent documents. The war had ended, but his mind raced with a new battle - to understand why some inventions succeeded while others failed. Night after night, as he cataloged thousands of technical breakthroughs, a pattern emerged that would revolutionize how we solve problems.
”The most brilliant solutions weren’t random acts of genius,” Altshuller later wrote in his prison diary (arrested for challenging Stalinist scientific dogma). “They followed hidden patterns, like nature’s own algorithms for innovation.” This epiphany became TRIZ - the Theory of Inventive Problem Solving.
What began as one man’s obsession now powers global innovation. Consider:
Unlike traditional brainstorming that relies on random idea generation, TRIZ provides a structured framework for innovation. As Altshuller famously stated, “The best solutions transform the problem rather than compromise.” This philosophy is embodied in TRIZ’s core tools: the 40 inventive principles and the contradiction matrix.
In our era of rapid technological change, TRIZ has gained global recognition. Companies like Samsung attribute over 50 patented innovations annually to TRIZ methodology. NASA engineers have used it to solve spacecraft design challenges. Even consumer goods giant Procter & Gamble applies TRIZ principles to product development.
What makes TRIZ uniquely powerful is its foundation in patterns of invention rather than psychological techniques. As Karen Gadd, author of “TRIZ for Engineers” explains: “TRIZ doesn’t depend on creative genius - it provides the thinking tools that make innovation reproducible.”
Altshuller’s analysis revealed that nearly all patentable inventions apply combinations of just 40 fundamental principles. These principles form a powerful toolkit for systematic innovation. Let’s examine some of the most impactful ones with real-world examples:
Example: Personal computers replaced mainframes by segmenting computing power to individual users. Similarly, IKEA segmented furniture into flat-pack components for easier shipping and assembly.
Example: Noise-canceling headphones remove unwanted sound waves while preserving desired audio. This principle also appears in medical dialysis machines that filter blood.
Example: Non-stick coatings applied only to cooking surfaces of pans, or drill bits with diamond tips on just the cutting edge. Mars used this principle to create M&M’s - protecting the chocolate with a hard sugar shell.
Example: Asymmetrical aircraft wings improve stability, and asymmetrical toothpaste tube nozzles provide better control. Samsung applied this to refrigerator shelf designs.
These four principles alone have generated thousands of patents. The full set of 40 covers everything from “Preliminary Action” (preparing objects to function properly) to “Color Changes” (using color to solve problems).
But principles alone don’t guarantee innovation - they need a framework for application. This is where TRIZ’s most powerful tool comes into play: its systematic approach to resolving contradictions. Just as a master chef needs both ingredients and techniques, TRIZ practitioners combine inventive principles with contradiction analysis to create breakthrough solutions.
Try It Yourself: Interactive Contradiction Matrix Tool
TRIZ recognizes that innovation often requires resolving contradictions - situations where improving one aspect of a system worsens another. The methodology classifies these into two powerful categories:
These occur when improving one parameter causes deterioration in another. The classic example comes from aircraft design:
The contradiction matrix maps 39 engineering parameters against each other, suggesting the most likely inventive principles to resolve each conflict. For instance:
More challenging are physical contradictions, where a system must simultaneously exhibit opposite states. Consider:
”Contradictions aren’t problems to avoid but opportunities to innovate,” says TRIZ expert Ellen Domb. “The matrix guides you to principles that have solved similar contradictions before.”
The true test of any methodology lies in its practical applications. Here are three remarkable cases where TRIZ drove breakthrough innovations:
2003 - Samsung’s semiconductor division was at a crossroads. Lead engineer Ji-hoon Park stared at the latest yield reports, his team’s frustration palpable. “Smaller features meant more failures,” he recalled. “We were caught between performance demands and manufacturing realities - a classic technical contradiction.”
The TRIZ team gathered in their Daejeon lab, contradiction matrix in hand. As they mapped parameters #27 (Reliability) against #32 (Manufacturing precision), the matrix pointed decisively to Principle #24: Intermediary.
”At first we resisted,” admits materials scientist Yuna Kim. “An intermediary layer sounded like added complexity.” But the team persisted, developing an intermediate mask technology that acted like a “training wheels” system during fabrication. The results stunned the industry:
This TRIZ-driven breakthrough propelled Samsung from struggling competitor to semiconductor leader. As Park reflects: “We didn’t outspend our rivals - we outthought them. TRIZ gave us the patterns they were missing.”
The classic “space pen” story demonstrates multiple TRIZ principles. NASA needed a pen that would:
P&G used TRIZ to resolve the physical contradiction of needing packaging that was both strong (to protect products) and lightweight (to reduce shipping costs). Applying Principle #40 (Composite materials), they developed a honeycomb-structured cardboard that was 30% lighter yet equally strong.
”TRIZ gives you the patterns of innovation,” explains Jack Hipple, TRIZ trainer for companies like Intel and Boeing. “It’s like having the playbook of every winning team in history.”
While TRIZ has transformed innovation across industries, thoughtful practitioners acknowledge its boundaries. As with any methodology, understanding both its power and limitations leads to more effective application.
Steep Learning Curve
Overemphasis on Technical Problems
Cultural Adaptation Needed
Potential for Mechanical Application
Despite these challenges, TRIZ’s core strengths remain compelling:
”TRIZ isn’t a magic wand,” summarizes Ellen Domb, “but it’s the most comprehensive innovation pattern language we have.”
With these limitations in mind, let’s compare TRIZ to other approaches:
Ready to apply TRIZ in your work? Follow this step-by-step approach:
Define the Problem Clearly
Classify the Contradiction
Consult the Matrix
Generate Solutions
Evaluate and Refine
As we’ve seen through these examples, TRIZ provides more than just problem-solving tools - it offers a fundamentally different way to approach challenges. In an era where innovation cycles accelerate exponentially, having a systematic methodology becomes increasingly valuable.
The next frontier for TRIZ lies in its integration with emerging technologies:
”TRIZ is evolving, not static,” notes modern TRIZ practitioner Michael Orloff. “The core principles remain, but how we apply them continues to expand.”
Imagine standing where Altshuller stood in 1946 - at the threshold of a new way of thinking. The difference? You have the benefit of decades of refinement and thousands of success stories. Here’s how to begin your TRIZ journey:
The Coffee Cup Experiment
The Home Office Hack
“Start with what frustrates you daily,” advises TRIZ trainer Sarah Miller. “Those mundane frustrations often hold the seeds of brilliant solutions.”
As you progress, you’ll begin to see the world differently - not as fixed problems but as opportunities for inventive solutions. You’ll join the ranks of engineers at Samsung, scientists at NASA, and product designers at P&G who’ve transformed industries through systematic creativity.
Genrich Altshuller’s final words to his students resonate today: “The best problems aren’t those without solutions, but those that push us to invent new ways of thinking.” Your first TRIZ solution - perhaps scribbled on a napkin or whiteboard - might just be the start of your own innovation legacy.
Dive Deeper: