The Secret to New Ideas

People often want change merely for the sake of change,whether they are changes for the better or not. The humananimal is easily bored. Furthermore, change is necessary forthose in business, as it is the best aid to replacement andprofit. We have also been made aware by many books that obsolescenceis built into much merchandise to make it wear out longbefore its time. Or new styles are introduced so differentfrom the current ones that one must abandon useful articlesto keep pace. Much of this is of course highlyobjectionable.

We find that many good ideas are abandoned for the sake ofchange, such as the elimination of pockets in women'sclothes, or the use of small purses instead of spaciousones, stiff collars instead of comfortable ones and so on.

On the other hand, an improvement by its very nature implieschange too. So whenever you want an idea, consider all thefacts and factors involved in your product or your subject,and see what aspects you can change. Some of the possiblechanges will doubtless seem foolish at first, but you may beable to find a justification for them later on that wouldpermit you to use them. In any case there is nothing to losein noting down whatever you think of, even if it seems far-fetched.

There are, of course, many kinds of rearrangement. One mayuse different sizes, different shapes, different materialsor colors; or the same for different purposes; or in adifferent position, and so on ad infinitum.

The idea of interchangeable parts was first used by EliWhitney in stepping up production for weapons for the War of1812. Many years later Ford adopted it as part of hisassembly line production method. The idea had many otherapplications, even down to basic dresses which can be usedfor different occasions simply by the use of otheraccessories.

You can imagine the familiar thing in almost any newposition. Transposition from one place to another gave usthe idea of serving meals not in homes but in restaurants.

The same process of transposing gives us all sorts ofoutside services formerly done at home-laundries, hospitals,garment centers, schools and so on.

Which factors from one kind of service overlapping your own,can be applied to yours? A sunroom has a glass roof. In NewYork, some taxicabs have glass roofs to enable the passengerto look up and see the tall buildings-same idea, differentpurpose. Bathing caps for the swimmer are transferred toraincoat outfits. An ocean-going luxury liner supplies muchmore than mere passage. It draws for ideas upon restaurants,hotels, the entertainment field. Any large business can beanalyzed for such overlapping of interests and can use themfor idea sources.

A writer of articles may find in one magazine or tradejournal possibilities for similar articles for anotherfield. How a laundry found new customers may suggest thatevery business is looking for new customers. The fundamentalprinciples do not vary much, and can be adapted to how othersmall business may find new customers.

Change is the secret for getting ideas. And since change iseverywhere, simply keep your eyes open throughout your dailylife, and at any moment a spark of inspiration will give youwhat you need to continue with your idea.