When I'm stuck on a challenging problem, I like to ask unrelated/random questions.
Questions that force me to think about the problem differently.
Here are a few that help me get unstuck:
How do you plan to monetize your idea?
What if we added magnets? (…or lasers, robotics, etc...something unexpected)
Could we solve this with a subscription service?
Is there an app to do this already?
What if we eliminated the [major component of system]?
What if the user doesn’t have two hands (or feet, eyes, etc)
What if a dog got hold of this? This was particularly interesting for a hearing aid case design project I was working on.
Can I find inspiration in a different industry? (farm equipment, toys, cooking, tools, etc.)
What if we couldn’t use plastic (or metal, foam, rubber, glass, etc)?
What if this stiff component was made of marshmallows? How would the system respond? (Thanks Jesse)
What if we removed [function of system]? Is it really necessary? Feature creep in development is real.
These questions are just a start....keep thinking outside the box to find your own list.
Get the creative juices flowing.
Don't constrain yourself to only practical questions.
Have a great Thursday!
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