Best 40 TRIZ Principles to Boost Your Design Challenges

For product design engineers. The 40 TRIZ Principles are the solutions to solve the “TRIZ contradictions” in product design problem-solving or to highlight other approaches during your product design brainstorming sessions.

This article focuses on the 40 triz principles to be used with or without the TRIZ methodology.

Refer to TRIZ methods, tips, and tools at the end of this article.

The 40 TRIZ Principles

As these are translations from Russian -that may vary from book to book-, we have taken the most commonly used terminology, and we have regrouped the triz principles by family.

Note: we added complementary principles and technologies in the following chapter.

Highlighted in green is our selection of principles of high interest & frequent usage in Product Design

Different Assembly

This family regroups all means of assembling the components or parts differently. Clearly to be applied during the design choices.

			examples	our comments
#1	Segmentation	Divide an object into independent parts		Good to solve a tech problem or source a component of the shelf, but may lead to complexity & additional costs
#2	Taking out	Separate an interfering part or property from an object, or single out the only necessary part or property of an object		can be very effective, but product intent must be clear to eventually cut into the product specs
#4	Asymmetry	Do not apply force or loads in a uniform or even way		Applied locally frequently permits to reduce of the power and lean the structure (min exception and fatigue)
#5	Merging	Regroups smaller parts or components to achieve the main goal		Depends on context and volume: a dedicated part or component could be more cost and material effective
#7	Nesting	Do you remember the “Matrioshka“, the Russian nested wood-carved dolls?		Modularity, a gain in storage, transport, product variants …
#27	Intermediary	Add an intermediate part or function in the assembly		Not the leanest approach. Is that the only solution?

Adapt To Users or Context

This category regroups all means of changing the product or the system relative to its environment. Mostly at the specification phase rather than later at the design board.

			examples	our comments
#3	Local quality	adapt the level of quality to the strict required, and only at the required place		“Overprocessing” in the 7 wastes of Lean mindset, but for the Design Phase
#6	Universality	Give other usages to an existing part or product		Open new markets at very low effort and environmentally friendly. Not exactly to solve a design issue, but upstream.
#22	Benefit From Harm	By lowering, adding, or increasing the harmful factor, make it a beneficial or secondary function
#23	Feedback	Adapt actuator to effectively required parameter; control loop		Self-leveling & without user intervention.
#25	Self-service	Have the part or product perform other functions, regenerate itself, or produce usable wastes.		When possible, a nice way of value added
#26	Copying	Replace complex and costly components with cheap light and simple copies, or work on an image rather than the costly object itself		(the essence of value Analyses in case you were not using that already)
#27	Consumables	Replace something strong and costly with consumable parts or components		mind the wastes, environment, and new regulations. Other Lean approaches exist

Forms Follow Functions

One of the motos of this site. Read the corresponding post on Forms Follow Functions (fff): regroups all mean that change the shape or space. Usually, the simplest, most reliable, and most cost-effective solutions.

			examples	our comments
#8	Anti-weight	Use the weight to lower other actuators		typically the counterweight in an elevator
#14	Spheroidality, Curvature	Make is round
#17	Another dimension	made 2D what is 1D, and 3D what is 2D		Permits opportunities (gaps, spaces) in the solving
#30	Thin and Flexible	Make heavy structures thin, and eventually flexible if movement is needed		See the plastic tricks design library for molded hinges or thin walls

Time Is The Essence

Family regrouping all TRIZ principles function related to time and new sequence.

Because not visible on the drawing board, solving a technical challenge with a new timed sequence can be overlooked

… but beware of not degrading the user experience with longer or additional steps

			examples	our comments
#9	Preliminary anti-action	Anticipate the harm with a counteraction		ex: preload of concrete beams, before the load itself
#10	Preliminary action	Perform in advance the requirement or change or prepare in advance
#11	Beforehand cushioning	“Prevent rather than cure” before too late		Quality, Lean (…) but for design here
#13	The other way round	Invert the physical principle or the parts relative to each other		ex: on a Peltier module, cool one side instead of heating the other
#20	Continuity of useful action	Do not stop the process or movement		limit operations and WIP & uses inertia
#21	Rushing Through	Perform the action quick		Same logic as applying the force not evenly listed earlier, but on time, to limit the effort, energy, or risk
#34	Discarding and recovering	Use, dispose or reuse at a later time		Environment and production friendly

Physical Properties

TRIZ Principles which are related to either mechanical, physical, or chemical properties of the materials or the environment.

			examples	our comments
#12	Equipotentiality	To conserve energy, limit position changes in a potential field		do not move metal in a magnetic field, or raise parts in a gravity field
#15	Dynamics	Make parts or components move relative to each other
#16	Partial or excessive action	Reduce or increase slightly some specs to reach the conform zone		Pareto: 20% makes the 80%. Or is 95% enough?
#18	Mechanical vibration	Use vibrations rather than big movements		permits very local effect, usually more energy efficient
#19	Periodic action	Replace continuous linear actuators with rotary, pulsating, or repetitive means		link to the previous, depending on the magnitude
#28	Mechanics substitution	Replace Mechanics with magnet or electromagnetism		Refer to our Design with Magnets post
#29	Pneumatics and hydraulics	Replace Mechanics with Hydraulics system		some constraints, but worth every cent when adaptative, flexible, or long distances
#31	Porous materials	Design with porous materials (or increase micro or macro porosity)		Lighter. 3D CAD & metal powder sintering helps these days
#32	Color change	Change the color, or transparency to ease the process. Indicate information by a color change.		many special inks or materials are available, for pressure, temperature, density, humidity (…) indication
#33	Homogeneity	Two interacting parts should have the same or similar materials		… and if fixed, be the same part!
#35	Material Properties changes	use change of material properties: physical state change, strength, rigidity, texture, flexibility …		(color, length in other principles)
#36	Phases transition	use phase transition consequences: heat absorption or generation, volume change, transparency change …
#37	Thermal expansion	Use material thermal expansion (or contraction) to apply a force		Fixed or temporary assemblies. Use bimetals also
#38	Strong oxidants	O2 or O3 enriched atmosphere		Mind the flammability & corrosivity aspects
#39	Inert atmosphere	O2 or O3 lowered atmospheres to freeze some chemical reactions		Opposite of previous; refer to the Triangle of Fire
#40	Composite materials	Use composite materials		Lighter. Well-known these days, but mind aging and process repeatability

The TRIZ Methodology in a Nutshell

The contradiction matrix and the TRIZ principles are the fundamental tools within this methodology, developed by the Soviet inventor and science fiction writer Genrich Altshuller.

1 – Preparing the Contradiction Table

The table consists on aligning all 39 engineering parameters versus the new product functions. By cross-referencing these parameters within the matrix, designers and engineers can identify potential solutions that might not be immediately obvious, fostering innovative thinking and efficient problem resolution.

The 39 engineering parameters

The Product Functions

Refer to other articles on this site to define proper user product functions, not to be confused with constraints (ex: a mandatory legal standard is a constrain from a product design point of view … unless you are the standard distributor or reseller) 

2 – Applying the 40 Principles

Addressing contradictions is the crucial step in problem-solving. The process begins with identifying the specific contradiction, which typically falls into one of two categories: technical or physical.

• A technical contradiction arises when improving one aspect of a system leads to the deterioration of another.
• A physical contradiction involves conflicting requirements for the same element.

Now filling the table with one or more of the 40 principles listed above in each cell is the key step.

As the table consists of likely several hundreds of cells, to be reviewed in details with an open mind to creative and new solution, the process can be very long. Some software do help for that, but you loose the global view of the table, adjacent columns or rows that can be grouped together in a common solution.

We have seen some detailed research on AI applied to TRIZ, without a publicly available tool so far (see public research paper here)

Tip: if time is a factor, we recommend focusing on key contradictions and user functions, rather filling superficially all the cells. A design-to-cost or minimal viable product approche can help in this priorisation -see other posts for these methods-.

This systematic approach enables the transformation of the contradiction into a creative opportunity, facilitating innovative breakthroughs.

Triz Methodology examples

A classic example of TRIZ in action is its application in the automotive industry to address the challenge of reducing vehicle weight without compromising safety. By employing TRIZ principles, engineers identified the use of high-strength, lightweight materials like carbon fiber composites, which allowed for substantial weight reduction while maintaining structural integrity.

Another example can be found in electronics, where TRIZ has been used to enhance battery life in smartphones. By analyzing and overcoming contradictions, such as increasing battery capacity without enlarging the phone size, engineers innovated with energy-efficient processors and software optimizations. These examples demonstrate how TRIZ enables systematic innovation by transforming problems into opportunities for inventive solutions.

The New 9 Complementary Innovation.world Principles

We felt these complementary principles or technologies were missing in the original 40 TRIZ principles list:

• • • standardize: both within your production tools and your range of products, but also use OEM and of-the-shelf components (this can hardly be the outcome principle of any patent research, the root of the TRIZ methodology)
    • solidified gas or liquid: example: pick-and-place using frozen humidity from the air to pick small components. Some commonalities with #35-Material Properties changes
    • impact: to get sudden energy peaks only when needed, rather than increasing the average power (ex: mechanical teeth or roller extractor). Some commonalities with #21-Rushing Through
    • nonnewtonian fluids: liquid when still, gets hard when getting energy, stroke, or movement. Used already in the forage industry. With some similarity to the end effect, it can also be a metal powder that solidifies when exposed to a magnetic field as in ferrofluids.
    • capillarity: to raise the liquid higher or suck or make visible or mix liquids
    • osmosis and inverted osmosis: through a porous membrane to separate ultra-fine elements
    • additive materials: various 3D printing technologies, from resins and melted plastics to sintered metal powders
    • magnets: not only the electromagnetism mentioned in the list; see the design with magnets dedicated article
    • springs, either linear or concentric. To dump movements or energy peaks, but also to store energy and give it back at a later time (one of the TRIZ contradiction solutions: “separate in time”)

Resources of interest for TRIZ Principles

There are plenty of videos on the TRIZ principles, but in this one, Karen Gadd explains the concepts, the real aim, and the context, rather than listing the 40 principles. Check

A presentation with original illustrations for each of the 40 principles:

TRIZ Principles – Theory of Inventive Problem Solving de LogeshrajV