A problem-solving technique that involves using an analogy—a comparison between two things—to find a solution to a problem.
- 方法: 工程, 产品设计, 项目管理
Analogical Thinking

Analogical Thinking
- 持续改进, 创造力, 跨职能合作, 可持续性设计, 设计思维, 创新, 解决问题的技巧, 流程改进
目标
如何使用
- Analogical thinking is used to transfer knowledge from a familiar domain to a new domain. By finding a similar problem that has already been solved, you can use the same solution to solve the new problem.
优点
- Can help to find creative solutions to problems, can make complex problems easier to understand, and can be used to generate new ideas.
缺点
- Can be difficult to find a suitable analogy, can lead to incorrect solutions if the analogy is not appropriate, and may not be suitable for all types of problems.
类别
- 构思, 解决问题
最适合:
- Solving complex problems by drawing comparisons to similar, already-solved problems.
Analogical thinking is particularly beneficial in the context of product design and innovation within industries such as automotive, consumer electronics, and healthcare. Designers and engineers can utilize this method during the concept development phase, where they may encounter challenges similar to those previously addressed in other fields. For example, a team working on a new 医疗器械 might draw inspiration from the design principles used in the aerospace industry, where precision and safety are paramount. The participants in this methodology often include cross-disciplinary teams, consisting of engineers, designers, and market researchers, who collectively brainstorm ideas by comparing past solutions to current challenges. Analogical thinking can also be instrumental in user experience design, allowing teams to take familiar elements from successful applications and adapt them to create intuitive interfaces in new software products. In educational settings, this method encourages collaborative learning, as students analyze and connect their existing knowledge to real-world scenarios, promoting creativity and innovative thinking. By breaking down barriers between seemingly unrelated domains and unlocking the potential for innovative solutions, analogical thinking serves as a bridge in tackling obstacles that seem daunting at first glance.
该方法的关键步骤
- Identify the target problem requiring a solution.
- Search for similar problems in different fields that have known solutions.
- Analyze the analogous problem and its solution thoroughly, understanding key attributes that contributed to its success.
- Extract relevant principles or strategies from the analogous solution that may apply to the target problem.
- Adapt the derived principles to develop potential solutions for the target problem.
- Prototype and test the adapted solutions in the context of the new problem.
- Evaluate the effectiveness of the solutions and refine based on feedback and results.
专业提示
- Identify underlying principles from analogous cases that can be adapted to the new context, emphasizing the task's core mechanics over superficial similarities.
- Utilize cross-disciplinary workshops to explore diverse perspectives, encouraging the synthesis of knowledge from unrelated fields that may have addressed similar challenges.
- Document and analyze past analogies used within your domain, creating a repository of successful transfers and their outcomes for future reference and inspiration.
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