We all know the endless kick-on, kick-off routine associated with that perfectly comfortable pair of house slippers. Our days are filled with quick trips to the market, impromptu lunches, and endless dog walks. And one of two scenarios are typically woven into the daily in-and-out saga of life — either countless episodes of shoe swapping or foregoing those fabulous house shoes to spare extra minutes.
Mahabis, a shoe company based out of London, set their innovation sites on resolving this daily dilemma by creating the Mahabis slipper. Utilizing the Division Technique, Mahabis created an indoor-outdoor wool slipper made possible by a detachable sole. According to Mahabis, these soles “flick-on and clip-down in seconds.” By offering convenience, Mahabis hasn’t overlooked quality as they aimed to make a sole that is light and comfortable and provides adequate heel support, grip, and relaxed comfort.
The Mahabis slipper is just one example of the Division technique at work. To get the most out of the Division technique, you follow five basic steps:
The Mahabis slipper is just one example of the Division technique at work. To get the most out of the Division technique, you follow five basic steps:
- List the product’s or service’s internal components.
- Divide the product or service in one of three ways:
- Functional (take a component and rearrange its location or when it appears).
- Physical (cut the product or one of its components along any physical line and rearrange it).
- Preserving (divide the product or service into smaller pieces, where each piece still possesses all the characteristics of the whole).
- Visualize the new (or changed) product or service.
- What are the potential benefits, markets, and values? Who would want this, and why would they find it valuable? If you are trying to solve a specific problem, how can it help address that particular challenge?
- If you decide you have a new product or service that is indeed valuable, then ask: Is it feasible? Can you actually create this new product or perform this new service? Why or why not? Can you refine or adapt the idea to make it more viable?
Keep in mind that you don’t have to use all three forms of Division, but you boost your chance of scoring a breakthrough idea if you do.
