Problem Reversal (Inversion)
Problem Reversal is a heuristic that involves examining a problem from its opposite perspective—asking how to cause or worsen the problem—to uncover hidden assumptions and generate creative solutions.
THE IDEA
Problem Reversal (Inversion)
Ask how you could cause or worsen a problem. The answers can reveal conditions worth changing or assumptions worth testing. Reverse those answers to generate candidate solutions, then assess whether they would actually help.
The source offers prompts such as 'Traffic jams,' 'World food problem,' and 'Better design for a tent.' For 'Traffic jams,' ask what would make congestion worse. Poor signal coordination or reduced public transit might be candidates. Reversing them suggests investigating better coordination and transit service. These are ideas to evaluate, not guaranteed remedies.
When to use it
Improving a product by considering how to make it fail
Solving a business challenge by asking how to cause the opposite outcome
Identifying ways a plan could fail and testing measures intended to prevent those failures.
FROM THEORY TO EVERYDAY LIFE
In practice
Traffic Jams
Instead of asking 'How to reduce traffic?', ask 'How to cause more traffic?' Suppose the answers include poorly coordinated signals and reduced public transit. Reverse those ideas into proposals for better coordination and transit, then test whether they address the local causes of congestion.
World Food Problem
Inverted question: 'How can we make the world food problem worse?' Answers might include limiting crop production, increasing waste, or reducing distribution. Reversed: boost crop production, reduce waste, improve distribution networks.
A MOMENT TO REFLECT
Put it to work.
Pick one problem from the list and use inversion: what is the opposite of your goal?
How does deliberately imagining ways to worsen a problem reveal possible changes?
What assumptions about the problem did you uncover through inversion?
Often confused with
CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION
Source texts
- Lateral Thinking A Textbook of Creativity (Edward de Bono)