Matrix Thinking© was developed in 1999 by Roger La Salle, a passionate innovator, qualified Professional Engineer and Business and Marketing Graduate.

Roger is known the world over for his innovation teachings, understanding of IP, product development and commercialisation skills. He has delivered breakthrough outcomes in more than 29 countries and every imaginable industry including Technology, Research, Banking, Insurance, Polymers chemistry, Food, Packaging, Telecoms, Safety and even Aviation.

He is also a past Chair of Innovation at “Queens University” in Belfast and former panellist on the ABC television show “The New Inventors”.

MATRIX THINKING - USES

Matrix Thinking arrays are not entirely new and are used in various applications that could include Innovation, marketing, recruitment, Software and even military planning and strategy development.

MATRIX THINKING - FORMAT

Matrix Thinking typically uses a rectangular word array, much like a spreadsheet, where the intersection of key words on the vertical and horizontal axis are used stimulate thinking insights.

TWO DIMENSIONS

In a two-dimensional Matrix Thinking array a word on the vertical axis could be, for example, “Change”, asking you to change a product to make it better. The Change word could intersect with a trigger word “Material” on the horizontal axis” asking you to make it for example of aluminium instead of steel.

DEEP DIVE

In the two-dimensional Matrix Thinking array we would generally only be thinking of the benefit of making the product in aluminium instead of steel for its originally purpose.
However, if we now wish to inspire thinking on a deeper level, we may move to a three-dimensional Matrix Thinking array.

THREE DIMENSIONS

With Matrix Thinking implemented in a three-dimension array, on the third axis a new trigger word would be added, in this case it could be “Uses”. This word is asking the user to now explore different “Uses” of the product that may now be possible since it is made from aluminium instead of steel.