Act of insight

An act of insight is an idea that suddenly comes to a person. One well known example is the invention of the post it note by Arthur Fry, an engineer at 3M. From How Stuff Works website, 

The idea for the Post-it note was conceived in 1974 by Arthur Fry as a way of holding bookmarks in his hymnal while singing in the church choir. He was aware of an adhesive accidentally developed in 1968 by fellow 3M employee Spencer Silver. No application for the lightly sticky stuff was apparent until Fry's idea. The 3M company was initially skeptical about the product's profitability, but in 1980, the product was introduced around the world. Today, Post-it notes are sold in more than 100 countries.

Adaptation

Adaption describes how a solution in one field is used to provide a solution to a new problem in a different field. 

Dyson noticed that the design of large industrial extraction units could be adapted and scaled down to the size of a portable vacuum cleaner. The distinctive shape tech

Technology transfer describes how a technology developed in one context is applied in different and new contexts. The best example of this is the laser (Topic 5.1). The same technology has been used in a wide variety of applications: welding, CD ROMs, cutting, surgery, and bar code readers.

Sometimes unexpected discoveries can lead to new ideas. For the inventor, it is important to notice and realize the potential for this "unexpected" discovery and consider how it might be applied to an existing problem.

History has many examples of chance discoveries, including:

• Microwave oven: originally working on a radar device

• Air conditioner: originally trying to make a dehumidifier for a newspaper printing factory

Sometimes, a technical development will be the driving force of the innovation, despite there not being an identified need for a solution. This is sometimes called "a solution looking for a problem" in the sense that need is non-existent. 

The original Sony Walkman is a good example of this. Neither a market nor a need existed for a portable cassette player. Yet the introduction of the Walkman not only created a market that didn't exist, but became a critical revenue generator for Sony.

The safety features in Volvo cars are another example of technology push driving innovation. Volvo developed a range of features such as airbags, traction control, and  collision avoidance system. In many cases they were the first to do so. Their inclusion of these features were developed around a broader goal of building an injury proof car by 2020 (Wired.com). 

Market pull refers to consumer demand for an innovation or solution. It can also refer to a need to respond to competitors innovations in an effort to maintain market share. Market research plays an important role in determining how a company will respond to consumer needs, and what form their solution will take.

A good example of this is the increase in screen size of mobile phones over time--largely driven by consumer demand for larger screens to watch video and surf the internet.