Benjamin Tyl Thesis (2011) - Creativity Contribution to Eco-Innovation Processes

This doctoral thesis explores how to adapt a structured creativity method to address eco-innovation challenges. Facing the observation that existing eco-design tools focus little on idea generation phases, Benjamin Tyl proposes adapting ASIT to create ecoASIT, a tool stimulating creativity across all sustainable development axes.

Defended at University Bordeaux 1 in December 2011, this 376-page research experimentally demonstrates that using structured creativity mechanisms increases eco-innovation upstream phase performance and encourages systemic thinking on environmental and societal dimensions.

Thesis Summary

Identified Problematic

Sustainable development challenges require new offers and uses in an eco-innovation process integrating environmental and societal approaches. State of the art reveals that while many tools exist, few precisely instrument the idea generation phase (ideation) and few stimulate all sustainable development axes.

Research Objective

Study the interest of using creativity support tools to instrument idea generation phases during eco-innovation processes, by developing a tool focused on eco-ideation of sustainable systems.

Proposed Solution: ecoASIT

Adaptation of ASIT creativity tool into ecoASIT, argued on conceptual level (theoretical affiliations) and experimental level (test results). The ecoASIT tool presents strong potential to effectively stimulate ideation phases across all sustainable development axes.

Scientific Approach

Rigorous Methodology

This thesis relies on a three-step approach: exhaustive state of the art on eco-innovation and creativity tools, iterative development of ecoASIT tool through an experimentation network, experimental validation via rigorous protocol with quantitative and qualitative indicators.

Robust Experimental Protocol

The implemented protocol allows evaluating idea generation phase performance according to several criteria: quantity of generated ideas, idea variety, originality, environmental relevance, life cycle approach consideration and multi-criteria. Three major experimental tests were conducted with control groups and groups using ecoASIT.

Academic Credibility

Thesis defended before a jury composed of Bernard Yannou (Professor École Centrale Paris), Peggy Zwolinski (Professor INP Grenoble), Nicolas Perry (Professor Arts et Métiers ParisTech), and Stéphane Le Pochat (EVEA). Thesis directors: Jérémy Legardeur (ESTIA) and Dominique Millet (Supméca Toulon). Host structure: APESA-Innovation.

ASIT in this Research

ASIT at the Heart of the Approach

ASIT occupies a central place in this 376-page thesis, with approximately 150 pages devoted to ASIT and its adaptation into ecoASIT (chapters 3, 4 and 5). The ASIT method is presented as "an experimentally validated tool" in scientific literature.

Why ASIT was Chosen

After exhaustive review of more than 10 creativity methods (brainstorming, TRIZ, SCAMPER, C-sketch, morphological analysis, six thinking hats), ASIT was retained for several distinctive qualities:

• Systematic approach: ASIT "systematically ploughs the entire problem area", unlike brainstorming which digs "here or there according to inspirations"
• Convergent method: generates targeted ideas thanks to stimulating constraints, avoiding uncontrolled divergence
• Learning speed: 2 days training to become autonomous, 3 hours workshop to generate dozens of ideas
• Scientific robustness: resulting from 20 years of TRIZ simplification work, experimentally validated by Horowitz (1999)
• Adaptability: structure transferable to different domains, including eco-innovation

Favourable Comparisons

The summary table (p.120) advantageously positions ASIT: more structured than brainstorming, more accessible than TRIZ, more systematic than SCAMPER. This comparison justifies choosing ASIT as base for adaptation towards eco-innovation.

Collaboration with SolidCreativity

Benjamin Tyl explicitly acknowledges SolidCreativity (page 2) for its contribution to work enrichment and its participation in different tests performed. This collaboration between academic research and field expertise allowed validating ecoASIT operational applicability.

ASIT Adaptation into ecoASIT

The adaptation conserves ASIT's DNA: the 5 tools (Unification, Multiplication, Division, Suppression, Symmetry Breaking), the systematic and convergent approach. The additions concern sustainable development dimensions integration: environmental criteria (life cycle, multi-criteria), societal dimensions (needs, behaviours, stakeholders), and complementary tools (9 screens, evaluation diagram).

Contributions

ASIT Experimental Validation

Test 1 (outdoor luminaire): ASIT compared to classical eco-design tools (Eco-Compass, LIDS Wheel). Result: ASIT generates significantly more original and environmentally relevant ideas than traditional eco-design tools.

Test 2 (kettle): ecoASIT used autonomously by 4 groups after training. Result: validation of ASIT methodological clarity - users can apply the tool without permanent accompaniment.

Test 3 (razor): ecoASIT with participants novice in environmental issues. Result: improved creative performance, generated idea variety covering all sustainable development axes.

Scientific Contributions

This thesis demonstrates three major contributions: ASIT adaptability to new domains (here eco-innovation), its methodological structure robustness (conserved in ecoASIT), and the importance of creative stimulation mechanisms in eco-innovation processes to surpass incremental improvements.

From Academic Research to Operational Tool

This academic work served as base for ecoASIT development by SolidCreativity. SolidCreativity however moved away from the academic version to create a more effective operational tool in the field. The difference between academic research and operational effectiveness led to simplifications and adaptations for use in real industrial context.

The ecoASIT tool as it exists today conserves principles validated by the thesis while integrating 10+ years of additional field experience. Discover operational ecoASIT.

Bibliographical Information

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Document Access

Canonical link (official source): https://theses.fr/2011BOR14432

We recommend consulting the document via the official theses.fr link to respect copyright and access the reference version.

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