Forced Relationships
Forced relationships, as the name implies, is the process of forcing
relationships among some product combinations. It is a technique that asks question about objects or ideas in an effort to develop a new idea. The new combination and eventual concept is developed through a five-step process:
1. Isolate the element of the problem.
2. Find the relationships between these elements.
3. Record the relationships in an orderly form.
4. Analyze the resulting relationships to find ideas or patterns.
5. Develop new ideas from these patterns.
Table 4.4 illustrates the use this technique with paper and soap.