5 June 2025: Online webinar by Karen Gadd, Oxford Creativity, UK

Introduction to TRIZ - Theory of Inventive Problem Solving

TRIZ is the Russian acronym for the "Theory of Inventive Problem Solving". It is a systematic approach to solve technical and non-technical problems and a catalyst for innovative product development. TRIZ was developed in the USSR in 1950s by the inventor and engineer Genrich Altshuller from the extensive study of thousands of patents. From mid-1990s TRIZ became very popular worldwide, and many big companies have used TRIZ including Rolls-Royce, Ford, Boeing, NASA, Hewlett Packard, General Electric, IBM, LG, Samsung, Hyundai, Johnson & Johnson, Siemens. Through enabling clear thinking and the generation of innovative ideas, TRIZ helps to find an ideal solution without the need for compromise. However, it is not a Theory - it is a big toolkit consisting of many simple tools - most are easy to learn and immediately apply to problems. It works alongside and supports other toolkits, and is particularly powerful for getting teams to work together to understand problems effectively, collectively generate ideas and innovate. In this webinar, Karen Gadd will explain in detail the tools and processes of this powerful toolkit. And also explain all the benefits of learning TRIZ and how to use it for problem solving and stimulating creativity & innovation. It's a fast-paced introduction to TRIZ delivered to AUT with opportunity for Q&A.

Speaker’s Bio

Thousands of engineers, scientists & business people have learned TRIZ from Karen and her Oxford Creativity colleagues since 1998. As the founder of Oxford Creativity, she has taught Oxford TRIZ learning and problem solving in many major global companies - Rolls-Royce, Sanofi, MBDA, SBM, Saint Gobain, BAE Systems and more. Karen selected and trained all the Oxford Creativity workshop leaders and developed all the Oxford TRIZ materials. Karen studied Mechanical Engineering at Imperial College, and has an MBA from London Business School. Karen's book TRIZ for Engineers: Enabling Inventive Problem Solving published by Wiley Blackwell in 2011, has now been translated into Korean, German, and Hebrew.